First Off Dont Be Quick To Reduce Your Childs Fever
To begin with, donât rush to the medicine cupboard and be quick to administer childrenâs Tylenol or Motrin to bring your childâs fever down.
If your child is running a fever, DONâT suppress it.;Fevers are actually very beneficial in aiding the body to repair and heal itself.
If fevers scare you, donât worry, they scared me at one point too.;But now I have a complete understanding and knowledge around fevers I donât fear them anymore and feel a lot more in control and at ease if my child has one.
Check this post out âReasons why a fever is good for your childâs bodyâ to learn more about why you shouldnât be scared of fevers and you SHOULD let them run their course.
Obviously, you must always do what you feel is right and do your own research and gain your own understanding.;You can monitor your childâs fever and if absolutely necessary I do prefer;dye-free childrenâs Motrin;over Tylenol.
With that being said, it is known that ibuprofen can be harder on the stomach, which in this case I would do my best to avoid all OTC medicines where I can or use a;homeopathic fever reducer.
Provide Plenty Of Fluids:
- Give your toddler small sips of liquids throughout the day. Do not let the child drink it all at once, as that can make them throw up.
- Babies who only breastfeed can have an extra feed of milk.
- Toddlers can have plain water as well as oral electrolyte solutions, also called oral rehydration salts , such as Pedialyte. Toddlers can be breastfed too.
- The amount of ORS you need to give your toddler depends on their weight. The World Health Organization suggests that you multiply the toddlers weight in kilograms with 75 to arrive at the volume of ORS you need in milliliters . Give the recommended amount of ORS over the first four hours. You can give more later if the child is still dehydrated.
- You can give the baby formula or breast milk, but avoid animal milk since the babys tummy can have problems digesting it .
During The Vomiting Stage
1. Keep your toddler contained in one area.
Viral Gastroenteritis is extremely contagious and it stays on contaminated objects for days. It is best to keep your toddler in one area of your living space to avoid contaminating other areas as much as possible. I know this might sound difficult because, well, toddlers are hard to contain, but if they have the stomach bug their energy is going to be zero to none.
We kept Lennox in our bedroom where he had a spacious bed and TV to keep him distracted from his aches and pains.
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2. During the first 12 hours avoid liquids and food.
I know you might be worried about getting your toddler to drink or eat something since he is throwing up so much, but dont! Not for the first 12 hours at least.
Gastroenteritis is an inflammation of the lining of the intestines and through vomiting or diarrhea, your body is working to get the infection out. Any intake of food or liquids will come right back out. After the first 12 hours, and once the vomiting or diarrhea has stopped, then you can offer clear liquids.
3. Keep a bowl or bucket nearby.
One of my biggest worries was having Lennox throw up all over the place. He is a young toddler and doesnt even know he should go pee in the potty yet, much less vomit.
It is extremely important to sit your toddler up to avoid choking.
4. Keep your toddler distracted by his favorite shows and movies.
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How Long Is Your Child Contagious
Its okay to admit that after a few days of cleaning up bodily fluids from every possible orifice, youre probably feeling ready to get your kid out of your house as soon as possible.
But heres the bad news first: For many common stomach viruses, your child can keep passing the virus in her poop for anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks.
And heres the good news: However, most of us pediatricians will say that your child can go back to school or daycare 24 hours after shes stopped throwing up.
If diarrhea is the main issue, its really all about your childs comfort level and hygiene. For older kids who are in school, its okay to send them if 1). Theyre good about washing their hands after using the bathroom , and 2). They arent going so frequently that theyll be uncomfortable in class all day.
As for children in daycare or preschool, ask about the daycare or preschools policy. Diarrhea from a common stomach flu can last as long as two weeks, so as long as everyone washes their hands well, diarrhea really shouldnt be a factor that keeps a child home for more than a day or so. Vomiting is a much stronger reason to be kept home.
Try A Homeopathic Remedy
Homeopathic remedies can be powerful and can really aid in the healing and repair of a personâs body.;There are a few homeopathic childrenâs remedies you can find for an;upset stomach.
Check out your local natural grocery store, or order on;.
You can also try;Ipecacuanha;for after every time they vomit or Nux Vomica;to help them regain strength after dealing with their stomach bug.
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Stomach Flu In Toddlers: Causes Symptoms And Home Remedies
The stomach flu is one of the most serious health problems that affect babies and toddlers. Also called gastroenteritis, stomach flu can be caused by several factors, but the common flu virus is not one of them .
Keep reading this MomJunction post to know all about stomach flu in toddlers, its causes, and ways to manage the disease right at home.
When Should You Call For Help
anytime you think your child may need emergency care. For example, call if:
- Your child passes out .
- Your child seems very sick or is hard to wake up.
or seek immediate medical care if:
- Your child has new or worse belly pain.
- Your child has a fever with a stiff neck or a severe headache.
- Your child has signs of needing more fluids. These signs include sunken eyes with few tears, a dry mouth with little or no spit, and little or no urine for 6 hours.
- Your child vomits blood or what looks like coffee grounds.
- Your child’s vomiting gets worse.
Watch closely for changes in your child’s health, and be sure to contact your doctor if:
- The vomiting is not better in 1 day .
- Your child does not get better as expected.
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What Do You Feed A Child With The Stomach Flu
Once your child has stopped vomiting, they can start to eat foods again. The best foods after the stomach flu are the BRAT diet of bananas, rice, applesauce and toast.
“These foods are very easy to digest,”;says Dr. Rojas. “Children can also have crackers, or grilled or boiled chicken.”
Children should avoid greasy, heavy or spicy foods for a few days after they experience vomiting. Avoiding dairy could also be beneficial due to a transient lactose intolerance after stomach flu, though infants should still breastfeed or have formula if able to tolerate.
Certain drinks, like apple juice or carbonated beverages, can make vomiting or diarrhea worse, so it’s best to stick to rehydration solution or plain water.
If your child has nausea or vomiting again, it’s best to stop the food until their stomach can settle.
Stomach Pain On The Left Side Of The Abdomen
If your child is complaining about pain on the left side of their stomach, it could be caused by something as simple as constipation to a more severe condition like pancreatitis. Dr. Mehta reminds parents not to panic just because their child is experiencing pain.
“Most of the time, stomach pain on the left side is caused by something mild, like constipation. Rarely, it can be a sign of something more serious,” she says. “Your child’s pediatrician can work with you to better understand the pain and symptoms your child experiences to ensure they receive an accurate diagnosis and more importantly, find relief.”
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Expect Rebound Constipation After Diarrhea
Yup, out of the frying pan and into the fire.
We talked about how the intestinal villi in the small intestine help absorb nutrients from food. Well, we havent talked about the large intestine. This guys only job is to suck water out of poop so that you dont have diarrhea all the time. Thats it.
With a stomach virus, the large intestine isnt usually affectedat least, not as much as the stomach and small intestine usually are. And thats helpful, because if the large intestine couldnt do its job during a stomach virus infection, then diarrhea would be WAY worse.
When your child has diarrhea, the large intestine starts to work overtime, sucking as much water out of the poop as possible to try and minimize the diarrhea. But after the small intestines villi start to heal and the poop making it to the large intestine is getting less diarrhea-like, there can sometimes be a lag in how quickly the large intestine recognizes that. Add this to the fact that there hasnt been much solid food in your childs belly for a while and the result is that many kids with diarrhea will end up constipated for a few days after the diarrhea has gotten better.
How Gastroenteritis Is Spread
The bugs that cause gastroenteritis can spread very easily from person to person.
You can catch;the infection;if small particles of vomit or poo from an infected person get into your mouth, such as through:
- close contact with someone with;gastroenteritis they may breathe out small particles of vomit
- touching contaminated surfaces or objects
- eating contaminated food ;this can happen if an infected person doesn’t wash their hands before handling food, or you eat food that has been in contact with contaminated surfaces or objects, or hasn’t been stored and cooked at the correct temperatures
A person with;gastroenteritis is most infectious from when their symptoms start until;48 hours after all their symptoms have passed, although they may also be infectious for a short time before and after this.
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Will Probiotics Help With Vomiting & Diarrhea
Sure. Maybe. We dont know.
See, the problem with talking about probiotics is that its a lot like talking about antibioticsyou really need to know which strain youre talking about, what dose youre giving, and what aim youre targeting. The field of gut bacteria is rapidly developing and were learning more information all the time.
The truth is that for an acute stomach virus lasting just a few days, a probiotic supplement may not work fast enough or strongly enough to make the symptoms end significantly faster.
A better approach is to fortify your childs gut bacteria before she even gets sick. We know the food good gut bacteria eat is fiber from plants, and that the people with the most plants in their diets have the widest variety of gut bacteria. So keep working on getting those fruits and veggies into your kids!
For more on this topic, see my interview with gut health expert Dr. Will Bulsciewicz here.
What Causes Rotavirus In Children
Rotavirus spreads through the stool of infected people, which is why changing tables and bathrooms are prime areas where the virus can lurk.
When people dont wash their hands well after changing an infected babys diaper or infected toddlers dont wash their hands well after using the potty, they can easily spread rotavirus to others.
Babies and toddlers most often come down with the virus, typically after touching something thats been contaminated and then putting their hands in their mouths or putting unwashed hands with traces of feces in their mouths.
But it can also spread through contaminated water, food or sometimes even through droplets in the air from coughs and sneezes.
Though a childs first case of rotavirus disease may be pretty severe, if she gets infected again, the symptoms are usually much milder.
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Follow These Steps To Help With Diarrhea:
Of course, if your child is also vomiting, then youll have to do the frequent-small-amount approach we just talked about until she can keep bigger volumes down.
Again, if there is a lot of diarrhea, youll want to give fluids that have a small amount of sugar, plus some sodium and potassiumsomething like Pedialyte. If your child has only a small amount of diarrheasay, once or twice a dayisnt vomiting and is over 6 months old, then water should likely be fine.
A breastfed baby can keep drinking breastmilk. If you give formula, however, you may want to consider a lactose-free or soy formula for a few days.
Avoid milk and high-sugar sports drinks. Remember: lactose and other sugars are absorbed along the intestinal villiand those villi arent looking so hot right now. As a result, that sugar hangs out inside the small intestine & pulls more moisture in by osmosisessentially worsening or prolonging diarrhea. We want the opposite to happen, so avoid these drinks if you can!
Now, if there is very frequent diarrhea, then you may want to give the BRAT diet for part of a day or even a full day just to help slow things downbut dont do it for more than a day.
What Can Cause Stomach Pain In A Child
The most common causes of stomach pain in children include:
- Indigestion
- Irritable bowel syndrome or functional abdominal pain
- Appendicitis
Additional stomach pain symptoms can vary based on what’s causing your child’s stomach to hurt, but may include cramping, diarrhea, gas, bloating, nausea or vomiting. One of the most important symptoms to note is where your child is feeling pain in their stomach.
“One of the first questions we ask children is where their stomach hurts,” explains Dr. Mehta. “Location of the pain can help physicians determine what is causing the pain, in addition to other characteristics such as severity of pain, when it occurs, what makes it better or worse and accompanying symptoms.”
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You Forget To Be Vigilant About Sanitizing
Wrong Move You become lax about hand-washing and sanitizing once your child improves.
Better Bet Stay vigilant about good hygiene. The virus can remain in your child’s intestine for several weeks after his symptoms are gone. So have him sing “Happy Birthday to You” twice when he washes his hands to ensure he does a thorough job after every trip to the bathroom. If he’s still in diapers, scrub your hands after each change. Don’t share towels, drinks, or food with your child. And since germs can live on places like doorknobs and toys for several hours or even days, clean or disinfect them regularly.
Does Medicine Help The Stomach Flu
Though you may want to give your child a medicine to help with stomach flu symptoms, Dr. Rojas recommends against it. Because the stomach flu is caused by a virus, antibiotics will not help.
“Usually we just need to let the virus run its own course,”;says Dr. Rojas. “Trying to take medications can prolong symptoms and make them worse.”
Dr. Rojas says the only exception to the no-medicine rule is the appropriate dose of acetaminophen if your child has a fever.
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How Long Are Stomach Bugs Contagious
The question of how long depends on the underlying organism, whether virus or bacteria, Dr. Delgado-Borrego says. As a rule of thumb, a child is contagious as long as theyre having diarrhea. Stomach bugs last a few days up to a couple of weeks.
The cessation of diarrhea is a common marker for when a stomach bug is no longer considered contagious. While vomiting wont last longer than 18 to 24 hours, diarrhea in infants and toddlers who have a stomach bug can sometimes last seven to 14 days, says Rashmi Jain, MD, pediatrician and founder of BabiesMD in California. During this entire time, they can still be shedding viral particles in their stools and be contagious. As pediatricians, we caution that children can be contagious until diarrhea has been resolved for a good 24 to 48 hours.
Children should be kept home from school or daycare and away from other people during this time.
What Should I Do If My Child Has A Stomach Bug
Most of the time gastroenteritis does not require a visit to the pediatrician. If your child can take in and keep down fluids, you can manage it at home. The biggest cause for concern with viral gastroenteritis is the risk of dehydration, especially in babies and young children.
The problem that arises with stomach bugs is that oftentimes, especially in infants and toddlers, children will lose more of their bodys fluid in the process of vomiting and diarrhea than they can drink and absorb to replenish, says Dr. Jain. Thus, they are at high risk for dehydration.
Dr. Jain recommends parents see a healthcare provider if their child shows signs of dehydration, such as:
- Dry lips or tongue
You should also seek medical care if your child meets any of the following criteria:
- Is younger than 2 months old
- Has a high fever greater than 102 degrees Fahrenheit
- Shows blood or pus in stools or vomit, or has dark forest green colored vomit
- Has severe abdominal pain or swollen abdomen
- Has yellowish skin or whites of the eyes
- Stops vomiting for a few hours but then starts again
- Vomits for longer than 18 to 24 hours
- Has diarrhea that persists more than 72 hours
- Has a chronic medical condition
- Is unable to keep necessary medication down
- Trouble breathing
- Stiff neck
- Seizure
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