It’s time for fall diarrhea again

  Although the hot sun continues to heat up, summer flowers are still gorgeous, and autumn leaves have yet to show their quiet beauty, fall is always a beautiful season in the eyes of adults.  But for infants and young children from 6 to 24 months, this is the time of year when rotavirus and adenovirus enteritis (also known as fall diarrhea) is at its peak. The disease is epidemic or mini-epidemic, and can be spread by fecal-oral transmission, or by respiratory infection. The incubation period is 1-3 days, often accompanied by fever, upper respiratory tract infection symptoms, vomiting at the beginning of the disease, often preceded by diarrhea, followed by more frequent stools, more volume, more water, can be egg-flake soup-like or watery, often accompanied by dehydration and acidosis, the duration of the disease 3-8 days, a few longer, faster recovery in children who do not feed breast milk.  Suggestions: In autumn, the weather is changing, the temperature difference between day and night is large, about 2 years old infants and children should pay attention to timely increase and decrease clothing in addition to do not want to go to supermarkets, shopping malls, amusement parks to reduce the chance of cross-infection. Parents should also wash their hands and faces in a timely manner after going home to hold their children in public places to avoid illness from the mouth.  Once the children at home have vomiting, diarrhea, fever symptoms, should be vigilant. For children with little vomiting, few stools, no obvious decrease in urine volume, dry mouth and lips, good mental state, and normal eating and drinking can be observed at home, with appropriate supplementation of intestinal probiotics and sufficient water electrolytes (oral rehydration salts). For children with poor spirit, poor color, low urine output, inability to eat and high body temperature, they should go to the hospital for ultrasound, blood, urine, stool, electrocardiogram, etc., and if necessary, intravenous fluid treatment.  It is important to note that children with diarrhea and fever are prone to complications such as dehydration, electrolyte disturbances, febrile convulsions, and in severe cases, intussusception, myocarditis, and shock, which can be life-threatening. Therefore, timely consultation and reasonable examination are very important.  Proper feeding is an important part of promoting recovery from fall diarrhea, and children who do not breastfeed recover more quickly. For younger children, this can be achieved by spacing out breastfeeding or by appropriately reducing the concentration of milk formula and switching to de-lactose formula (diarrhea formula) if necessary. For older children with complementary foods, milk intake can be suspended and supplemented with easily digestible foods such as vegetable porridge and rotten noodles to promote intestinal recovery, but do not be afraid to add a high-protein diet for children with insufficient nutrition, as this is often counterproductive and aggravates the condition.  Parents with children can get their children vaccinated against rotavirus to reduce the chances of getting the disease, and they should also take precautions from various aspects of life, diet and outings.