Diet with rotavirus infection in children

More often rotavirus infection sick children under five years, which is associated with anatomical and physiological features of the digestive system and the failure of immune protection factors. Low hygiene skills also contribute to infection.

The clinic includes symptoms of gastroenteritis, intoxication syndrome and signs of respiratory infection. Not always abdominal syndrome appears simultaneously with inflammation in the throat and temperature, in addition, infection can occur and when it comes into contact with the virus carrier (externally healthy person), so at the initial stage of the disease there is a probability of making an erroneous diagnosis (ARVI or ARI).

Rotavirus infection affects not only the respiratory organs, but also the gastrointestinal tract, which means that taking antipyretic, nasal drops and treating the throat is not sufficient therapy. With pain in the abdomen, you must always follow dietary rules. After the examination, the doctor will tell you what to feed the child with rotavirus infection.

General recommendations

Diarrhea when infected with rotavirus can reach a dozen times in 24 hours. With diffuse diarrhea, the body quickly loses fluid and changes the balance of electrolytes. In addition, the liquid comes out with vomit and at elevated temperature. All this provokes dehydration, which is fraught with serious complications for babies and toddlers of younger preschool age.

In severe form of the disease due to lack of fluid develops a failure of the heart and blood vessels, which in the absence of treatment can lead to death. To prevent a shortage of water in the body, rehydration therapy should be carried out.

Specific treatment of rotavirus infection has not been developed, symptomatic therapy is applied, which is aimed at alleviating the condition of the patient and eliminating each symptom separately (give antipyretic drugs, anti-diarrhea drugs, antibacterial drugs, antispasmodics). Since the virus causes an inflammatory process in the intestine, it is necessary to adhere to a therapeutic diet that will help restore the mucosa.

The purpose of therapeutic nutrition:

• provide all necessary nutrients (proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, microelements, vitamins) for the normal functioning of the organism;
• fill the lack of fluid;
• reduce intoxication syndrome;
• to prevent the development of the inflammatory process in the gastrointestinal tract by chemical, mechanical and thermal shchazheniya;
• normalize the intestine;
• restore the number of "healthy" bacteria of the intestine.

Against the backdrop of a vivid clinical picture of intestinal infection, the vital substances (potassium, magnesium) are excreted from the body of babies, so it is important to fill them

To restore the digestive system during infection with rotavirus, the following rules should be adhered to when preparing a diet:

• in the first days of a pronounced clinical picture, portions should be reduced by half or three times the physiological norm;
• a sufficient amount of protein should be consumed daily, but the amount of carbohydrates and lipids must be cut, and the dishes should be less caloric than that required by age norms;
• dishes should be easily digestible;
• recommended products bake, boil, steamed;
• daily it is necessary to use sour-milk drinks enriched with useful bacteria.

Compliance with the rules of diet therapy with rotavirus infection promotes a more easy flow of the pathological process and rapid recovery of the patient's body. If the principles of proper nutrition are not observed, the inflammatory process will progress, which can lead to the development of complications.

How much should a child eat in an acute period of illness?

If the rotovirus intestinal infection in the child is mild, then the first day the portion should be reduced by a fifth. If the form is moderate, the daily diet should be reduced by one third. In severe cases, the portion should be cut to half.

As the child does not feel well, he can refuse to eat, in this case, it is not necessary to force him to eat, but it is important to monitor the amount of liquid consumed. You can give to drink a weak chicken broth, unsweetened tea, kefir. To vomit, food should be given in small portions, but often. The nutrition of the child must contain the necessary amount of nutrients (proteins, fats and carbohydrates, vitamins).

By the end of the first week of illness the portion should correspond to the age norm

How much should a child drink in a sharp period

Avoid dehydration will be possible if the child is given to drink a few sips every 15-20 minutes. If the newborn refuses water, infusion therapy (a dropper with physiological saline and glucose) should be performed. Children under the age of two should drink about 50-100 ml of liquid after each emptying of the intestine, older children should drink 100-200 ml.

After the child has vomited, he also needs to offer water, but you need to drink it very slowly and with small sips (it is possible through a straw). With increased body temperature, the body also loses fluid. To make up for it, you need a child to drink fluids per day at the rate of 150 ml per kg of weight, if he is under three years old, and 80 ml per kg of weight if he is more than three years old.

As a drink you can offer a weak green tea, decoctions of medicinal plants, tea from blueberries or raspberries, still mineral water, compote from dried fruits, jelly. The temperature of drinking should not be too low, since the cold stimulates the motor activity of the intestine. It is better to give liquid and food about 36-38 ° C.

With severe dehydration (the child pisses a little, the skin and lips are dry), it is required to take funds regulating the water-electrolyte balance (Regidron, Human electrolyte). You can make a liquid to normalize the water-salt balance yourself. It will take a teaspoon of salt, 5 teaspoons of soda, 4 teaspoons of sugar and 100 g of raisins.

Dried fruits are boiled in liter of water for an hour, then the rest of the ingredients are poured and kept for a couple of minutes on the fire to dissolve. Take the liquid after grinding the raisins and strain. With severe intoxication it is necessary to give enterosorbents (Smecta, Polysorb) and antidiarrhoeal drugs (Probefor, Bifystim, Bifiform, Enterol).

What should I refuse from

In an acute period, any products that are capable of stimulating the motor activity of the intestine or causing increased gassing are contraindicated:

• vegetables in raw form and those that have in the composition of coarse dietary fiber (radish, turnip, radish);
• acidic fruits and drinks;
• sauerkraut;
• "Heavy" porridge;
• milk in undiluted form;
• baking and pasta;
• Cocoa based beverages;
• chocolate;
• animal fats and vegetable outside dishes;
• black bread.

It is also not recommended to give the child soups with cabbage (borsch, soup), because they provoke increased gas production. It is also necessary to exclude products that irritate the intestinal mucosa or stomach. Such dishes include strong broth, fatty meat, sausage, carbonated drinks, onions, garlic, spicy dishes, shop sauces.

How to Feed a Child

With a small loss of fluid, you can limit consumption of 8-10 grams of salt per day, but if diarrhea is severe, then you need to give 18-20 grams of salt, because it detains fluid in the intestine. To feed children who are on artificial feeding, you can use partially adapted infant formulas, for example, Vitalact or Kid, and also Nutrilon, Tutteli, and Fresloluk.

If possible, preference should be given to foods that contain bifido- and lactobacilli. They will help to normalize the microbiocenosis of the intestine, will have an immunomodulatory effect. If the tummy tuck is inflated (increased gas formation), low-lactose, lactose-free products or special infant formulas containing nucleotides should be included in the diet.

Nutrition with rotavirus infection should be gentle

If the baby is on natural feeding, then the nursing mother should exclude from the diet foods that stimulate increased gas production, and as often as possible to put the baby to the chest, and if necessary, finish the crumbs with water. With rotavirus infection, hospitalization of the infants in the infectious disease department of the hospital is indicated.

If the child is older than three years, then during the unloading day, you can feed only kefir, you need to give every 4 hours for 150-200 ml. When intestinal infection should be included in the diet of liquid rice porridge, boiled on water, without butter and salt. It has a binding and enveloping effect. Useful for diarrhea and vomiting of bananas, because they contain a lot of necessary potassium, remove the feeling of hunger and protect the walls of the intestines from toxins.

You can feed your child with the following products:

• Fish and meat dishes from dietary products;
• low-fat cottage cheese;
• steamed omelette;
• yesterday dried bread;
• mashed or slimy soups, soups-mashed potatoes on vegetable broths;
• porridge on water or milk, diluted in half with water;
• vegetable mashed potatoes (you can eat potatoes, cauliflower, beets, carrots, pumpkins, greens);
• sour-milk products (yoghurts without dyes and flavoring fillers, yogurt, fermented baked milk, kefir, hard cheese of mild varieties);
• you can use jam, marmalade, marshmallow, pastille, honey, jam.

All dishes should be chopped (meat is given in the form of cutlets, meatballs, meatballs, cereals and vegetables should be well-boiled) and a temperature of 36-38 0 C, so as not to cause increased motor activity of the intestine or stomach. With rotavirus infection, a diet for children should contain foods that contain pectin, magnesium and calcium salts.

Pectin is a thickener and sorbent, it normalizes intestinal peristalsis, has anti-inflammatory effect, collects and removes harmful substances from the gastrointestinal tract, acts as a substrate for useful microorganisms. Magnesium salts activate enzymes, improves bile secretion, relieve spasm of smooth muscles.

Calcium is necessary for the normal functioning of the immune system, the synthesis of hormones and enzymes. With diarrhea and vomiting, microelements are not absorbed in the small intestine, so after the symptoms have passed, you need to give the baby vegetables and fruits (carrots, beets, apples, bananas, cherries, apricots, plums, melons) in the form of purees.

In addition to useful elements, the fruits contain organic acids that have a bactericidal effect, and tannins, which destroy the pathogenic microflora and have an astringent effect. To avoid causing excessive gassing, it is recommended to bake apples. Many benefits from lemon, pomegranate, cherry, blueberry, black currant and juice from them.

About a month you should observe a moderately sparing diet and exclude from the menu any products that aggressively affect the digestive tract. These are fatty, fried and spicy dishes, smoked meats, marinades, sour fruits and berries, carbonated drinks, rich broths, spices, chocolate, vegetables and fruits with coarse fiber and essential oils (fresh onions, garlic, radish, sorrel).

To adhere to the diet is necessary for another 2-3 weeks after the symptoms of rotavirus infection subsided, so that the intestinal mucosa is completely restored

Thus, the diet for rotavirus infection in children is considered the most important part of the therapy, as it reduces the burden on all parts of the digestive tract, ensures an easier flow of the disease, prevents dehydration and relieves the symptoms of intoxication.

In the midst of a clinical picture, a patient may completely abandon the meal, in which case it is necessary to give him plenty to drink water, tea, diluted mors, or compote from dried fruits. You can offer a weak chicken broth, sour-milk drinks with low fat content. The smaller the portion and the more often the child will eat, the more likely that the food will be absorbed (the child does not vomit).

While the chair does not recover, you need a gentle diet. It is necessary to exclude any foods and dishes that are capable of increasing the synthesis of gastric juice, cause increased gas production or stimulate intestinal motility. All dishes should be steamed or boiled and served warm. What can be eaten to a child, the doctor will tell in detail, since when prescribing a diet, it is necessary to take into account the course of the disease, the age of the patient, the accompanying pathologies, the tolerability of the products.