Each year, the epidemic of gastroenteritis is responsible for more than one million doctor visits. Be aware that the management of this condition has changed. It’s time to shake up preconceptions and stop self medication.

Gastroenteritis is the leading cause of death, excluding accidents, among children under 5 years. But this is not diarrhea itself that threatens the smaller is the dehydration! If adults can easily compensate for water loss and minerals by drinking lots (water, broth, etc.). Is a real problem for toddlers. In children, it is important to prevent this complication early what dehydration with oral rehydration solutions. Their effectiveness is well demonstrated. Alas, they remain underutilized. These solutions are available without prescription. But on doctor’s prescription, they are reimbursed by social security. Before the epidemic, it is recommended that parents of children to complete their preventive medicine cabinet with this product. But also, it must avoid giving the coke! This reflex widespread or systematic, should be abandoned. Pediatric gastroenterologists are now very clear decision in the case of coca can be dangerous gastrointestinal aggravating diarrhea. In addition, the sodium content of the drink is too low to compensate for water loss. These experts also advise to forget the drugs and carrot, and not to change milk. In conclusion, what is needed is rehydrate children, routinely and only with oral rehydration solutions. If medical advice is usually not necessary, it is mandatory for young children and people with weakened. Indeed, dehydration threatens all fragile subjects, including the elderly. The oral rehydration solutions are also recommended for these populations.

Can we prevent gastroenteritis?

The main route of infection by viruses is represented by the hands. We must therefore meet strict hygiene is very simple: wash your hands thoroughly and regularly with soap and water, especially before cooking, leaving the toilet, after public transport, and also systematically before dealing children! And know that the classic gastroenteritis, viral or food disappears spontaneously in 3 days.

This is known as colic, they are crying with grimaces and very difficult to calm. Some information to better understand and treat them.

The colic do they have a digestive origin?

Is often thought, because the baby seems to have a stomach ache. But in reality, the link between colic and digestion baby is not well understood. In most cases, these crises have no impact on transit. The baby is not constipated, and has no diarrhea either. At present, many experts believe that colic is more psychological in origin, although not always agree on the precise causes: lack of hugs? Life too hectic? It is not clear.

At present, the actions recommended to soothe babies with colic are prey to comfort rather than cure;

Make light massage on the abdomen (not just after a meal). Their goal is to relax the baby rather than to heal Feel free to ask your pediatrician will probably give you an education or training.

The rocking or massage in a quiet and avoid over-stimulate (babies with colic are often nervous or sensitive).

Make her drink a small amount of sugar water. Again, the goal is to calm the baby and not to improve digestion. A small amount when he cries is sufficient.

In case of colic, calm parents

If your baby has colic, it is important to reassure you. For this, the first step is to see a pediatrician you trust who will check that your baby does not have underlying gastrointestinal disease. Also remember that colic always, if they are painful to bear, have a time and usually disappear before the fourth month of the baby.

Colic: drugs are often unnecessary

United States (1), doctors give babies drugs against gastroesophageal reflux. The amount of drugs prescribed was multiplied by 16 between 1999 and 2004!

Or if the reflux is very common in infants, it still does not deserve a medical treatment. Above all, such an increase is justified surely not by medical criteria.

The study authors therefore believe that the combination of reflux and colic, two factors that are not serious, worried parents to the point that they seek treatment for the problem. Although it is unclear whether this increase is also with us, it is certain that the reflux in babies can sometimes much worried parents.

Let us recall that the prescription of treatments against reflux is not without side effects, and should be reserved for cases where the reflux is very severe (if the baby is not growing, for example). Conclusion: If your baby spits up and has colic, bring him to the doctor. But does not necessarily come out with a prescription.

Often distressing, rarely severe abdominal pain is one of the most common symptoms of the child. This effect is due to the multiplicity of diseases that may have an abdominal translation. We must remain vigilant because the difference between mild abdominal pain and more severe disease is sometimes difficult. The important thing is not to pay attention to dramatize the characteristics of pain and its circumstances trigger for the doctor’s diagnosis is well oriented from the start.

Multiple causes, a single complaint
If we wanted to identify conditions that give stomach pain in children, the length of this article would hardly suffice to establish the list. In fact, especially in young children, the abdomen is the translation of many symptoms. It is difficult enough for adults to specify when the seat abdominal pathology, the type and intensity of pain. A fortiori in children. First the complaint is often centered on the stomach, even if it is psychological or urinary problems because the child has no other means to express and certain other lung diseases, urinary diseases, joints, trusses, can give real gynecological abdominal pain sometimes isolated. Not forgetting of course purely abdominal pathologies.

Pain yes, but? Importance of signs associated
Knowing that the child’s abdominal pain may have multiple causes and is rarely isolated, it is important to note other symptoms associated with it: fever or chills (taken to indicate the temperature in the mouth, or under the arm by adding five tenths), nausea or vomiting, or immediately after food intake or later, diarrhea (stool frequency, appearance more or less liquid) or, conversely, constipation, burning on urination or cravings to urinate or frequent urination, joint pain, lameness when walking, ENT signs (runny nose, ear pain, sore throat), a yellow skin (jaundice) or yellow conjunctiva (the conjunctiva match the white of the eye). The sign associated with the most important is the alteration of the general condition: the sign must worry about more than just abdominal pain. The child is tired, depressed, he does not play, he is not hungry, he is pale. The context is also important: the first rules of a teenage girl, also sick people in the neighborhood or at school, school exam next …

Adequately describe the pain
It is important that the physician has a maximum of usable information and can move, the pain is well described. Its head is often difficult to define, often the child indicating the umbilicus. Its trigger mode: Is the pain occurred during an effort to rest after a meal? Acuity: the pain Did It gradually or suddenly (while everything was fine)? Changing its mode: Is the pain constant, evolving does by crises?, Is it more strong, stable or diminishing in intensity? The type: is it a “burning” of a “sting”, or more dull pain? Its frequency and age: is it the first time the pain occurs? This episode is it similar to previous ones? The painful crisis is it every day, every week, every month?

If “appendicitis”
Particular reference to acute appendicitis, which has already been described in detail elsewhere (see article). This diagnosis is often mentioned in the abdominal pain of the child. Rightly so, since it does not always present in its typical form and can take the mask other conditions (such as gastroenteritis, for example). It is not uncommon when there is little evidence (very moderate pain, normal white blood cells), the child is kept under observation, to try to separate things with a more benign disease (functional single pain or constipation). If there is no evidence of another diagnosis or if other signs occur, surgery is then determined. Note that the attending physician or emergency physician is often in a urine dipstick to detect a possible urinary tract infection that could be the cause of pain (see first paragraph).

Lifestyle: a daily struggle
If we must be vigilant not to let appendicitis or other serious illness, we must admit that the lifestyle of children is the cause of many office visits or emergency abdominal pain.Several factors come into play with a dietary factor. The modern diet does not favor the vegetables and fruits that are a source of dietary fiber intake (and cereals). The lack of fiber causes constipation and functional abdominal pain that may be important. In this area, the amount of fluid absorbed during the day is often inadequate and may be an additional factor of constipation. In addition, the lack of physical activity is also a contributing factor to constipation. And finally, the new family constraints (separated families), do not promote a stable lifestyle and increase fatigue, stress and difficulty eating properly.