Intestinal infection in infants: signs, treatment

Intestinal infection in infants - not uncommon. Most pathogens fall into the mouth of the child through dirty hands and toys.

There are many types of bacterial pathologies, the clinical picture of which is similar. Therefore, it is not necessary to begin treatment of a child without visiting a specialist and independently diagnose it. A pediatrician's examination and necessary tests will help diagnose the disease and begin the correct therapy. Most often, the treatment of intestinal infection in the baby is carried out in a hospital in the infectious diseases hospital.

How dangerous is an intestinal infection for an infant?

To represent the danger of intestinal infection in a baby, one needs to understand the peculiarities of the digestive process at this age. The newborn is born into the world with a sterile intestinal microflora, that is, without the presence of any foreign bacteria in it. With the first feeds, the infant's gastrointestinal tract starts actively populating various microorganisms. In this there is nothing dangerous, rather, on the contrary, a violation of the sterility of the child's digestive system is necessary for him.

These microorganisms take part in the processing of food products and form the feces of the baby. Normally, the stool of a breastfed woman who receives breastfeeding is more than 4 times a day. Feeding a child with artificial nutrition is less useful: the chair is noted no more often than 2 times, and often there are problems with constipation.

But not only useful microorganisms colonize the children's intestines: they get into it with the dirty hands of their mother, unwashed dummies and toys, disease-causing bacteria. Intestinal infections in infants have a favorable prognosis only in the case of early diagnosis of pathology and timely treatment.

If the infection is started, the disease can cause dehydration and serious intoxication of the child's body. Signs of intestinal infection in the baby are multiple vomiting and diarrhea, which occur already in the first hours after the onset of the disease.

For an infant this is dangerously severe dehydration, disruption of the urinary system, development of pathological conditions from the respiratory, cardiovascular and nervous systems. In extreme cases, in the absence of adequate treatment, intestinal infection in the baby can lead to the death of the child.

How does the infection occur?

The route of infection is oral. Disease-causing microorganisms initially enter the mouth of the child, and then spread through the system of the gastrointestinal tract.

Infected several ways:

1. When direct contact with a patient.
2. Through dirty items that hit the child in the mouth.
3. Via food products. Disease-causing viruses and bacteria are found in spoiled or low-quality products.
4. Low-quality water.

First signs of infection

First symptoms of intestinal infection in infants that should alert the young mother:

1. Sudden rise in temperature. It is impossible to miss this moment, since even in the absence of a thermometer, the heat in a child of the baby is clearly visible due to a change in skin color and an increase in temperature to the touch.
2. The second symptom of an intestinal infection in a baby is multiple vomiting. In this case, the child can completely abandon the food, since all that is eaten immediately leaves the stomach in the opposite direction.
3. Change in color and consistency of stool. Normally, the stool of the baby looks like a yellow, gruel-like mass. If the stool has become greenish and very liquid, and even mixed with mucus, you need to sound an alarm.
4. Disruption of the intestine and the pain associated with it, is expressed in the external discomfort of the baby. He cries plaintively, bends his knees to his stomach, shudders, as if he is asking for help.

How to cope with the infection?

Treatment of intestinal infection in the baby is aimed at the destruction of the pathogenic microflora. The complex course includes antibiotics, adsorbents, as well as drugs that eliminate dehydration and intoxication of the body.

Conservative treatment is the use of adsorbents, which purposefully remove all pathogenic microbes from the child's body. To restore the balance of microflora, probiotics are prescribed - Acilac, Bifiform, Linex. With the aim of eliminating intoxication the doctor prescribes Smektu, Enterosgel, against signs of dehydration - Regidron or Reopoliglyukin.

With repeated vomiting, a gastric lavage procedure is performed, if necessary, babies are given infusions with nutrient solutions. The reception of enzymes Creon or Mezim helps normalize the process of digestion and relieve the load from the organs of the digestive tract.

Symptomatic treatment consists in taking antipyretics based on Paracetamol or Ibuprofen, antispasmodics( No-Shpy).

Features of the course of the disease in infancy

Any infection of the infant is acute, and intestinal infection is no exception. Symptoms of intestinal infection in infants have a pronounced character, while the baby becomes passive, refuses food and games, cries for a long time and sleeps a little. Against the background of dehydration, body weight is quickly lost.

An ambulance should be called if the child :

• has no urination from 6 hours or more;
• blood stains appear in feces;
• changes the color of the skin, they become wrinkled and dry to the touch;
• on the background of repeated vomiting and diarrhea, the baby loses consciousness.

Timely treatment of symptoms of intestinal infection in infants does not allow the disease to reach a severe stage.

Nutrition during and after illness

Many mothers do not know if it is possible to breastfeed when intestinal infection occurs. Specialists say that not only can, but also often need to put the baby to the chest. No one-two-day preventive starvation, recommended to ill children from the year, you can not arrange a baby with a dehydrated organism. If the baby refuses food, the nutrients begin to drive him parenterally.

After feeding disease, it is recommended to carry out more often, but the amount of food should be less than usual. This is important for recovering lost body fluids and body weight.

Prevention

To prevent the appearance of symptoms of intestinal infection in infants, we must observe the following rules:

• All objects around the baby and parents hands should always be clean. Do not be lazy each time to wash your hands after walking or sleeping and rinse the pacifier that fell on the floor.
• Breast before each feeding of the baby should be treated with a weak soda solution, while the young mother should not forget to take a shower every day and change underwear.
• If someone has an intestinal disorder in the family, it is important to minimize contact with this family member until they are fully recovered.
• Wet cleaning and ventilation in the room should be carried out as often as possible.
• Artificial nutrition for babies should be prepared on the basis of bottled children's water.

Intestinal infection at an early age is common. Disease-causing microflora enters the body of a child when it comes into contact with a sick person, with the use of poor-quality food or because of non-observance of elementary rules of hygiene. In infants, the disease is difficult. At the first symptoms of intestinal infection in the baby - high temperature, repeated vomiting and diarrhea - it is recommended to seek medical help urgently and begin treatment.

Author: Olga Rogozhkina, doctor,
specially for Moizhivot.ru

Useful video about intestinal infection in children