6 moments of food poisoning in a child

Food poisoning is a fairly common phenomenon in children, especially during the hot season. Increased temperature promotes the reproduction of bacteria in the environment. How to prevent food poisoning, how to treat and what preventive measures are available, we will tell in this article.

Causes of food poisoning

The most common cause of poisoning is poor quality food, violation of the rules for its storage, expired shelf life, insufficient heat treatment. Buying products in a spontaneous market where there is no control of the sanitary and epidemiological station, we thereby endanger our children. And the water from the tap, unfortunately, in many regions leaves much to be desired. Read more: Chest pain in the middle

And, of course, the third reason is dirty hands. It is hard to follow a child, and the smaller the age of a child, the harder it is to control the process, which he takes in his hands and pulls into his mouth. So always try to keep your baby in sight!

How to identify food poisoning

The child after eating for several hours begins such symptoms: nausea, vomiting, lethargy, weakness, diarrhea, abdominal pain. There may be an increase in temperature. It is advisable for the doctor to examine the baby, but parents need to understand when it is better to give first aid at home and start the treatment on their own, and when you need to call an ambulance urgently, the doctor or go to the hospital yourself.

So, the alarming symptoms when you need to immediately seek medical help :

• Vomiting and diarrhea do not stop.
• Impurities of blood in vomit masses or stools.
• High body temperature.
• Presence of a rash on the body.
• The condition worsens, despite the measures taken.
• If the child ate mushrooms the day before.
• Muscle weakness.
• The child is up to three years old, especially in infancy.
• Refuse to drink.

How to treat intestinal poisoning before the arrival of a doctor?

If first aid is provided quickly and correctly, it will help to alleviate the condition of the child and, possibly, avoid hospitalization and placement of a dropper. First, you need to empty the stomach of intestinal contents. To do this, lightly push two fingers onto the root of the child’s tongue, this will provoke a competitive reflex. If the child already has vomiting, this is not necessary.

Vomiting is a protective mechanism, the stomach tries to get rid of toxins. But the problem is that this reflex is difficult to extinguish and already in the absence of harmful stomach contents, vomiting can be repeated, while the body loses fluid.

To compensate for the loss of fluid, the child must be repaired by means of oral dehydration. There are a lot of them in the pharmacy, they are inexpensive and should be in the medicine cabinet of every mother. How to make a solution, written on a bag. Typically, the powder should be diluted in one liter of water. It is important to know that the water should be clean, boiled, the water temperature should be about 37 degrees – at this temperature, it is better absorbed.

The prepared solution should be given to the child every 10-15 minutes for several spoons. A larger volume of fluid can provoke a competitive reflex. Do not need to offer food on the first day, it will only provoke vomiting. After a six-hour dehydration, you can alternate this solution with a sweet, concentrated compote, a decoration of dried fruits.

What to do with diarrhea?

Diarrhea, like vomiting, is a protective reaction of the body to harmful toxins. The liquid enters the lumen of the intestine, this facilitates the rapid evacuation of the intestine. But this mechanism can also drag on, and as a result, the body loses fluid. What can I do for you? Give the child the means that suppress this process, that is, reduce the secretion of water in the intestine.

This mechanism has such drugs as Smetana, Enter 250 and others. Do not use drugs that suppress the intestinal peristalsis, loperamide, and other analogs.

What to eat in the first days after poisoning

The child can be given suhariki, baked apple, vegetable soup, porridge, the next day you can give meat cutlets from low-fat meat, fish, sour-milk products. The food should be boiled or steamed. You need to give small portions, do not force to eat by force. The child needs to drink more in this period than there is. Gradually, the amount of food will increase, but in the early days a large amount of food can resume vomiting and provoke intestinal disorders.

How to avoid food poisoning?

• Do not buy food in spontaneous markets, check the expiration date, the tightness of the package.
• My vegetables and fruits before consumption.
• Observe the time of cooking.
• Cook the stored food in the refrigerator. Remember, the shelf life of products also need to know.
• Protect food from flies with nets.
• Regularly my hands – and his, and the baby.
• Drink whole family water from a clean source, boil it before use.

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