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Information from Your Family unit Md

Treating Gastroenteritis and Dehydration in Your Kid

Am Fam Physician. 1999 December 1;60(9):2565-2566.

  Run across related article on acute gastroenteritis.

What is gastroenteritis?

Gastroenteritis can cause vomiting and diarrhea (very frequent, watery bowel movements). This illness is very common in children.

Gastroenteritis is usually caused by a virus. It tin also be caused by bacteria (germs) or parasites.

Nigh children with gastroenteritis get better without medicine in a few days. All the same, it is very of import to prevent aridity.

What is dehydration?

Dehydration is the "drying out" of the body that happens when your child loses more than fluids than he or she is able to drink.

Aridity happens chop-chop in infants and very pocket-sized children. These children accept less "extra" fluids in their bodies to lose.

How do I prevent dehydration in my child?

  • If you breast-feed your baby, keep on doing this, and try to breast-feed more than ofttimes.

  • If you lot bottle-feed, keep using the regular formula, and try to feed your kid more often.

  • If your child is older, make sure that he or she drinks plenty liquids to supersede the fluids that are lost in diarrhea and vomiting.

  • An older child who is not nauseated (feeling similar throwing up) or vomiting tin keep eating regular foods. Encourage your kid to beverage as much liquid as he or she can. Whatsoever liquids your kid will drinkable are OK, as long as your child eats some solid foods, too. Fatty foods and drinks that are loftier in sugar (such every bit juices and soft drinks) might make the diarrhea a petty worse. It helps to feed your child solid foods like noodles or rice, forth with meat that isn't fat. Fruits and vegetables and yogurt may be the best choices.

If your child is nauseated simply non vomiting, give him or her small sips of liquid every few minutes. This is less probable to cause vomiting than drinking a lot at in one case. If your kid will not eat any solid foods, is airsickness over and over, or volition not drink liquids, yous should attempt one of the special "Oral Rehydration Solution" drinks described on the next folio.

How do I know if my child is getting dehydrated?

You lot tin can doubtable aridity if your child has had vomiting or diarrhea and has any of these signs:

  • Feeling thirsty but drinking liquids makes the child vomit

  • Dry out lips and rima oris

  • A dark color or a strong aroma to the urine (and not urinating very often or very much)

  • Feeling giddy when sitting or continuing up (in older children)

  • Niggling or no tears when crying (in babies)

  • Sunken eyes (in babies and toddlers)

  • Not paying attention to toys or goggle box, or fifty-fifty being hard to wake up (this is a sign of very bad dehydration)

  • Vomiting up everything he or she drinks or eats

How do I treat dehydration?

If the aridity isn't too bad, you can care for your child at habitation with help from your doctor. It takes a lot of care and time. It is all-time to utilise special liquids chosen "Oral Rehydration Solutions" (or "ORS" for brusk). These are drinks designed for children who are dehydrated. They contain water, sugar and a special mix of mineral salts like sodium and potassium.

Other "articulate liquids" similar soft drinks, tea, apple juice, Jello-water, chicken broth or "sport drinks" like Gatorade don't have the right mix of water, sugar and mineral salts. They might even make the diarrhea worse.

Drug stores and grocery stores behave several brands of ORS, with brand names like Pedialyte, Infalyte, Rehydralyte, Resol and Naturalyte. You might also find "generic" brands of ORS. They all work the aforementioned and are safety when you follow the directions.

Start past giving your child one or 2 teaspoons every one or ii minutes. This adds up to over a loving cup an hour. Fifty-fifty if your child vomits again, quite a lot of this fluid volition stay down. That helps fix the dehydration.

If your kid does well, you tin slowly give bigger sips a little less often—every 5 minutes. When your child is no longer dehydrated and isn't nauseated or airsickness, you lot can offset giving regular nutrient and drinks again.

Can I utilize medicine for diarrhea?

Medicines for diarrhea don't work very well. The best treatment is to forbid or treat aridity.

When should I call my dr.?

In general, if your kid is under ii years old and has airsickness and diarrhea for more 12 hours, you should accept him or her to your doc. This is very important if the child is vomiting ofttimes, or if the amount of diarrhea is large, or if the kid besides has a fever. Phone call your medico right away if your child:

  • Has pain in the breadbasket along with the airsickness

  • Has claret in the diarrhea

  • Is under vi months of age

  • Has any of the signs or symptoms of dehydration mentioned in the listing above.

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This handout is provided to you lot by your family doctor and the American Academy of Family Physicians. Other health-related information is available from the AAFP online at http://familydoctor.org.

This data provides a general overview and may not apply to anybody. Talk to your family doctor to find out if this information applies to you and to get more information on this field of study.

Copyright © 1999 by the American University of Family Physicians.
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