Pediatric acute gastroenteritis is a common digestive disease. The gastrointestinal function of infants and young children is relatively poor, and their resistance to external infections is low. Slight improper care can easily lead to illness.
The causes of gastroenteritis are varied. Infections within the intestines are caused by bacteria and viruses, especially pathogenic E. coli, which is the main causative bacterium. If antibiotics are used unreasonably when a baby is sick, it may cause fungal invasion of the gastrointestinal tract. Upper respiratory inflammation, pneumonia, nephritis, otitis media, and other diseases outside the gastrointestinal tract can lead to reduced secretion of digestive enzymes and increased intestinal peristalsis due to fever and bacterial toxin absorption. Unreasonable feeding of infants, such as overfeeding, underfeeding, or introducing starch and fat-rich foods too early or in excessive amounts, sudden changes in food, or abrupt weaning, can all cause diarrhea in babies. Changes in climate, such as being too cold, can increase intestinal peristalsis, while being too hot can reduce the secretion of gastric acid and digestive enzymes, both of which can trigger acute gastroenteritis.
Symptoms of gastroenteritis vary in severity. Mild cases of acute gastroenteritis usually present with good overall condition, with fewer than 10 bowel movements per day. The stool is yellow or yellow-green, with a small amount of mucus or white soap-like substances, and not much fecal matter. Sometimes the stool resembles "egg drop soup." More severe cases of gastroenteritis show more than 10 bowel movements per day, with watery or mushy stools. Bacterial infections may include mucus, pus, or blood. There may be signs of dehydration accompanied by high fever and drowsiness. The most severe cases involve more than 15 bowel movements per day, with forceful expulsion of watery stools, severe dehydration symptoms such as dry skin, sunken eyes, dark eye circles, reduced urination, thirst, and restlessness. Additionally, there may be symptoms of acidosis, breathing difficulties, fainting, and semi-coma. Due to potassium deficiency and edema, there may be abdominal distension and intestinal paralysis. Without timely treatment, the mortality rate can be as high as over 30%.
Treatment for gastroenteritis varies depending on the cause. The treatment for pediatric gastroenteritis mainly focuses on causal treatment and symptomatic treatment. This means identifying the cause of the acute gastroenteritis and promptly eliminating the root cause. Address the symptoms that appear in the baby by trying to alleviate these harmful symptoms. If it's caused by indigestion, adjust the diet and take medications like Lactozyme and yeast tablets; if it's caused by other diseases, treat those conditions actively; if it's due to unreasonable use of antibiotics, consult a doctor to discontinue the antibiotics. If the baby has excessive vomiting and diarrhea leading to water loss, replenish water and electrolytes promptly. For high fever, use physical or medicinal methods to lower body temperature; supplement potassium if deficient in potassium, and calcium if deficient in calcium. In cases of metabolic acidosis or shock, take immediate measures for emergency treatment.
Dietary principles for gastroenteritis:
For breastfed babies, do not stop breastfeeding during diarrhea but adjust the milk volume, shorten feeding time, and extend feeding intervals. Mothers should eat less fatty foods and drink more water before breastfeeding to dilute the milk, aiding digestion for the baby.
For formula-fed or mixed-fed babies, do not introduce new complementary foods during diarrhea. When diarrhea is severe, stop feeding milk and fast for 6-8 hours. During fasting, feed carrot soup, burnt rice soup, rice soup, and apple puree. Carrot soup has low calories, little fat, contains fruit acids and vitamins, helping to form stools. Apples have fine fibers, low fat, and contain fruit acids with astringent effects.
Older children can eat porridge made from yam, egg flower porridge, or soft noodles, but in smaller quantities.
If the baby shows signs of reduced urine output, thirst, or dry lips, they should drink oral rehydration salts or sugar-salt water.
Traditional Chinese medicine treatments for gastroenteritis:
Radish seed porridge: Take 10g of radish seeds, 50g of glutinous rice. First, roast the radish seeds until fragrant, then grind them into a fine powder. Add the glutinous rice to water to make porridge, then add the radish seed powder and mix well before eating. Radish seeds help regulate qi and aid digestion, suitable for babies over 8 months old with food-induced diarrhea.
Cardamom porridge: Take 5g of cardamom, 2 slices of ginger, 50g of glutinous rice. Crush the cardamom into powder, add glutinous rice to boiling water, then add ginger and cardamom powder to cook porridge. It warms the stomach and aids digestion, suitable for babies over 1 year old with cold abdomen, vomiting, and weak diarrhea.
Fragrant ginger skimmed milk: Take 2 cloves of clove, 5ml of ginger juice, 250ml of skimmed milk. Boil the ginger juice, skimmed milk, and cloves together, remove the cloves, and add a little sugar before drinking. It warms the stomach and stops vomiting and diarrhea, suitable for babies over 3 months old with indigestion-induced diarrhea.
Tangerine cake tea: Take 2 tangerine cakes. Cut the tangerine cakes into thin slices, put them in a teapot, pour boiling water over them, and steep for about 15 minutes before drinking. Suitable for babies over 6 months old with food-induced diarrhea.
Candy stir-fried hawthorn: Take 30g of hawthorn, 15g of brown sugar. Stir-fry the pitted hawthorns with brown sugar for 5 minutes, then soak with boiling water before drinking. Hawthorn aids digestion, suitable for babies over 1 year old with meat-overindulgence-induced diarrhea.
Shenqu Radish Malt Soup: Take 20g of Shenqu, 10g of stir-fried radish seeds, 10g of stir-fried malt. Cook the three ingredients in water for 20 minutes before drinking. Suitable for babies over 1 year old with bread-overindulgence-induced bloating and diarrhea.
Areca nut radish drink: Take 10g of Areca nut, 10g of radish seeds, 10g of fresh orange peel, 12g of sugar. Crush the Areca nut, stir-fry the radish seeds until fragrant, then crush them. Cut one fresh orange peel into thin strips, add the three herbs to water, boil for 10 minutes, strain out the residue, add sugar, and serve. It regulates qi, aids digestion, and reduces bloating, suitable for babies over 1 year old with indigestion-induced bloating, bad breath, and diarrhea.
Coix Seed Porridge: Take 30g of coix seeds, wrapped in gauze, add 500ml of water, boil down to 300ml, remove the residue, add 50g of glutinous rice to cook porridge, and divide into two warm servings. Suitable for babies over 1 year old with infectious gastroenteritis.
Prunus Root Decoction: Take 10g of prunus root, 10g of kudzu root, add 250ml of water, boil over high heat, then simmer for 20 minutes, remove the residue, add a little brown sugar, and divide into several doses. Suitable for babies over 6 months old with autumn diarrhea.
Dried Tangerine Peel Jujube Decoction: Take 12 jujubes, wash and dry, toast lightly in an iron pan, take washed dried tangerine peel (dried orange peel) 10g, add jujubes and water, boil for 15 minutes, and drink as tea. Suitable for babies over 6 months old with indigestion-induced diarrhea.
Foods to avoid during gastroenteritis:
Avoid foods that easily cause bloating: As intestinal bloating can worsen diarrhea. These foods include soybeans, tofu, soy milk, mung beans, red beans, etc. Excessive milk can also cause intestinal bloating and should be limited. However, yogurt contains lactic acid bacteria, which inhibit harmful intestinal bacteria, and can be consumed.
Avoid foods with long fibers: Watermelon, raw pears, green vegetables, celery, spinach, pomelo, mandarin oranges, etc., contain more fiber, accelerating intestinal peristalsis and worsening diarrhea, so they should be avoided.
Avoid sugary foods: Candies, chocolates, sweet desserts, etc., have high sugar content. Sugar in the intestines can cause fermentation and exacerbate bloating, so sugary foods should be eaten sparingly.
Avoid high-protein diets: Eggs, duck eggs, meat mince, etc., contain high protein. These foods ferment and rot easily in already disordered intestines, worsening diarrhea, so they should be eaten sparingly.
Avoid high-fat diets: Meat, cream, animal organs, etc., contain high fat, causing slippery intestines and prolonged diarrhea, so they should be avoided. Even when cooking with vegetable oil, the amount should not be excessive.