Diarrheal disease is one of the most common diseases among infants and young children in China. It is mainly manifested by an increase in the number of stools and changes in stool properties, and is a major cause of malnutrition and impaired growth in children. Acute heavy infantile diarrhea can cause infant and child failure to death. Infant diarrhea is one of the four major diseases that the Ministry of Health of China has set as a priority in pediatrics.
Infant diarrhea in the cold season is caused by 80% of viral infections, with rotavirus being the most common, known as rotavirus enteritis. It is also commonly known as “autumn diarrhea”.
The main characteristics of the disease are.
1, the disease occurs in the cold season from November to May each year;
2, the prevalence of children from 6 months to 2 years old. 4 years old onwards rarely occur;
3, young children can be infected with each other through contaminated toys and food;
4.The initial manifestation is only fever, runny nose, sneezing and other cold symptoms, 1~2 days later immediately appear vomiting, diarrhea;
5, the stool is characterized by egg-flake soup-like, no fishy smell, more volume, more water, more often;
6, most of the disease prognosis is good, but there are also serious dehydration due to irregular rehydration to circulatory failure death, very few children because of the virus invasion of the brain caused by viral encephalitis and convulsions, invasion of the heart caused by viral myocarditis can lead to sudden death.
Rotavirus enteritis is the second leading cause of emergency and death (besides pneumonia) in infants and children, and about 50-60% of children hospitalized for acute gastroenteritis worldwide are rotavirus enteritis. In China, about 10 million infants and children suffer from rotavirus infection gastroenteritis every year, accounting for 1/4 of the total number of infants and children.
Rotavirus enteritis in infants and children should be given high priority. If your baby is accidentally infected with the disease, the following measures can be taken.
1. Feeding: temporarily stop dairy feeding and change to soy, or de-lactose formula feeding;
2, anti-diarrhea: oral intestinal protectant (Simethicone), and intestinal microecological preparations (bifidobacteria, lactobacillus) to reduce diarrhea, do not give your baby a strong anti-diarrhea drugs (Emmenagogue);
3, careful use of antibiotics: because the disease is caused by a virus, so there is no need to use antibiotics. Unless it is proved that there is a bacterial infection;
4, for children with severe diarrhea, if parents find that the child is poor in spirit, drowsy, no tears, no urine, etc., it means that the child has serious dehydration, the condition is serious, should be immediately sent to the hospital for regular rehydration treatment.
Prevention of this disease is also important. The following measures can be taken.
1, vaccination: rotavirus vaccine has been applied in China, oral administration can stimulate the body to produce immunity to rotavirus, is the only and most economical means of preventing rotavirus diarrhea in infants and young children, especially severe diarrhea, vaccination target mainly for infants and young children aged 6 months to 3 years;
2, to develop good hygiene habits of babies, pay attention to hand hygiene;
3, less to go to crowded places to avoid cross-infection;
4. Pay attention to the regular disinfection of baby bottles and toys.