While gastroenteritis still circulates very largely in France, certain gestures are to be avoided. You will be surprised to see that what you thought to be useful is actually completely counterproductive!
Acute gastroenteritis (GEA) are most often viral and linked to rotaviruses and norovirus. A frequent disease that knows its epidemic peak between December and April, it mainly affects children under the age of five and is the cause of various symptoms: acute diarrhea (three stools per day or more), nausea and sometimes vomiting, loss of ‘appetite, stomach cramps, fatigue and moderate fever which can however exceed 39 ° C. Symptoms generally disappear after two or three days, even if it is frequent that diarrhea persists beyond. Also, the first risk of gastroenteritis is dehydration. A risk all the greater as the child is young.
In the presence of symptoms of a GEA in children under the age of two, a medical consultation is essential. Beyond that, it is necessary to adapt the food, take care to hydrate the child well and monitor the general condition of the child. Whatever the age of the child, parents must be attentive to certain signs which may indicate that the child is dehydrated: excessive weight loss (beyond 5%, an emergency consultation is necessary), dry lips, asthenia (the child is apathetic), appearance of skin folds. It is therefore crucial to ensure that the child remains well hydrated, even when he has frequent diarrhea and vomiting.
But how to rehydrate a child? Contrary to popular belief, giving it pure water is useless, quite the contrary. It is even of nature, because of its composition, to increase dehydration. While it seems logical to give water to a child, it is actually useless. “”The liquids given to hydrate your child must contain mineral salts and sugar in suitable quantities. This is why you should not rehydrate your child with pure water, because it is poorly tolerated and unsuitable (lack of sugar and salt can increase dehydration) “recalls the health insurance site.
“”When I took my little boy to the pediatrician, she advised me not to give pure water, but to add a little sugar so that it can hydrate it correctly. She also suggested that I did not continue to give her her milk in the morning because it is the only thing he was asking me (even if dairy products are not recommended during a gastro) and that he should not be removed from him its main diet “says Marjorie, mother of Alessio. Finally, we forget the exclusively sweet sodas and drinks, and we give an oral rehydration solution (Sro) mixed with water. If your child dresses by drinking this water with a little salty taste, try to mix it with apple juice to better make him accept, or water with a grenadine syrup for example.