What to do if your child has vomiting and diarrhea

With the arrival of summer and autumn, many gastrointestinal diseases begin to attack. The dry climate and hot environment cause germs to float in the air with dust, and many children with poor resistance become sick as a result. Among the many pathogens, Shigella dysenteriae and rotavirus can cause diarrhea in children. Mothers are worried and anxious when they see their babies vomiting and having diarrhea. In fact, diarrhea in children is not a difficult disease to treat. If you find the cause and prescribe the right medicine, the babies will recover soon.

There are many causes of vomiting and diarrhea in children. On the one hand, the child’s own body resistance is reduced, causing virus invasion. On the other hand, the climate is dry, germs are spreading everywhere, and the chance of illness is greatly increased. In summer and autumn, it is very necessary to take precautions.

Vomiting and diarrhea in children mainly occur in infants and young children. Its internal causes are as follows:

(1) The gastrointestinal tract of infants is not fully developed and the enzyme activity is low, but their nutritional needs are relatively high, and the gastrointestinal tract is burdened.

(2) During infancy, the nervous, endocrine, circulatory systems, liver, and kidney functions are immature and their regulatory functions are poor.

(3) Infants’ immune function is also imperfect. The serum Escherichia coli antibody titer is lowest from birth to 2 years old and gradually increases thereafter. Therefore, infants and young children are susceptible to E. coli enteritis. The titer of Escherichia coli antibodies in breast milk is high, especially the secretory IgA of pathogenic Escherichia coli in colostrum, so breastfed children are less likely to get sick and the illness they get is milder. Similarly, infants have low rotavirus antibodies, so when the disease is prevalent in the same population, more infants will get sick.

(4) The distribution of body fluids in infants is different from that in adults. Extracellular fluid accounts for a higher proportion, and the water metabolism is vigorous and the regulatory function is poor, making it easier for infants to develop fluid and electrolyte disorders. Infants are prone to rickets and malnutrition, which can easily lead to digestive dysfunction. At this time, the intestinal secretory IgA is insufficient, and diarrhea is easy to prolong.

Infectious factors

It is divided into intra-digestive tract infection and extra-digestive tract infection, with the former being the main type.

(1) Pathogenic microorganisms of digestive tract infection can enter the digestive tract of children through contaminated food or water, and are therefore more likely to occur in artificially fed children. If the utensils or food used for feeding are not sterilized or are not sterilized adequately, infection may occur. The virus can also be transmitted through the respiratory tract or water. The second is transmission by adult carriers of bacteria (viruses). For example, after an outbreak of bacterial (or viral) enteritis in the ward, some medical staff may be infected and become asymptomatic intestinal carriers of bacteria (viruses), which may lead to the spread of pathogens.

(2) Extra-digestive tract infection Infection of organs and tissues outside the digestive tract can also cause diarrhea, which is common in otitis media, pharyngitis, pneumonia, urinary tract infection and skin infection. Diarrhea is usually not serious and is more common in younger people. The causes of diarrhea are partly due to digestive dysfunction caused by extraintestinal infection, and partly due to the same pathogen (mainly virus) both inside and outside the intestine.

(3) Intestinal flora disturbance caused by the misuse of antibiotics. Long-term and large-scale use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, such as chloramphenicol, kanamycin, gentamicin, ampicillin, and various cephalosporins, especially when two or more are used together, can directly stimulate the intestines or stimulate the autonomic nerves to cause increased intestinal motility, reduced glucose absorption, and reduced disaccharidase activity, resulting in diarrhea. More seriously, it can cause intestinal flora disturbance. At this time, normal intestinal Escherichia coli disappears or is significantly reduced. At the same time, drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Clostridium difficile or Candida albicans can multiply in large numbers, causing enteritis that is difficult to control with drugs.

Digestive disorders

(1)Dietary factors.

(2) Intolerance to carbohydrates.

(3)Food allergy.

(4)Drug effects.

(5) Other factors: unclean environment, too little outdoor activities, sudden changes in daily life patterns, and sudden changes in external climate (known as "wind, cold, heat, and dampness diarrhea" in traditional Chinese medicine) can also easily cause diarrhea in infants.

The clinical manifestations of vomiting and diarrhea in children include increased frequency of bowel movements and changes in stool characteristics, such as loose stools and watery stools. Long-term vomiting and diarrhea can also cause water and electrolyte disorders in children, leading to symptoms of low potassium and low calcium. If the child shows symptoms of fatigue, mothers should pay attention to it. In addition to necessary drug treatment, try to feed the child some easily digestible food.