What should you do if your child suffers from food poisoning? Food poisoning is indeed a dangerous condition, and if not attended to immediately, can prove to be fatal. This post talks about food poisoning, how it can be caused in your child, and the ways to treat it at home.

Would you like to know more? Keep reading.

What Is Food Poisoning?

Food poisoning is caused by contaminated food or water that contains infectious viruses, bacteria and parasites or toxins. Cooking kills most of the bacteria or viruses, so consumption of raw food or improperly cooked food is also a common cause of food poisoning. Dairy products that are not cooked or boiled properly, or that are unpasteurized may also lead to food-borne illness. To prevent food poisoning, proper storage, preparation and food handling is necessary.

Sometimes food requires low temperature for storage vis-a-vis refrigeration. If it is not refrigerated, it contaminates. Maintenance of hygiene is also a pre-requisite to prevent contamination. One should note that washing doesn’t kill infectious bacteria, virus or parasites. Most of the time, we pay attention to the food we eat but forget about water. Impure water can also contaminate the food and lead to food-borne illness. So, ensure to use pure water for drinking and cooking.

Types Of Food Poisoning In Children:

When children eat contaminated food, microbes enter their intestines through the stomach and attach themselves to the walls of the intestines where they multiply. While some microbes release toxins into the body, some just stay in the intestine causing infection i.e. food poisoning. Children mostly suffer from two types of food poisoning.

1. Virus:

Generally children in schools suffer from viral infections. As the virus spreads mostly in crowded areas, children are likely to suffer from viral infections from the use of toys of other children, touching exposed surfaces, etc.

Children’s immune system would be at the developing stage, because of which they catch viral infection easily. Viral food poisoning is a gastrointestinal issue, caused by norovirus and rotavirus. These viruses may spread by sneezing or coughing.

2. Bacteria:

This type of food poisoning is caused by consuming contaminated water or food. Common bacteria that cause food poisoning are campylobacter, e-Coli, Salmonella, and Bacillus cereus. Among these, E.coli is very harmful. As these bacteria enter the body, they release harmful toxins that cause food poisoning.

Symptoms:

Symptoms of food poisoning in children may be visible within an hour or even after 24 hours. Symptoms vary in different individuals. The incubation period is the time between the consumption of contaminated food and the appearance of a symptom. The severity of the symptoms depends upon the quantity of contaminated food that has been consumed by the child. If the symptom is visible within 6 hours, then bacterial toxins or chemicals are the reason and not living bacteria.

Some of the common symptoms of food poisoning include the following:

1. The main and the most common symptom is diarrhea with vomiting. One may experience diarrhea 3-4 times in 24 hours. Blood may also be present in some cases.
2. Abdominal pain is also a common symptom of food poisoning that may decrease after passing stool.
3. Mild to high fever accompanied by headache.
4. Vomiting accompanied by nausea.
5. Dehydration or lack of fluid in the body also takes place due to continuous diarrhea and vomiting. In such a case, special attention is needed, because if your child is suffering from food poisoning due to dehydration, it can cause further complications.

Signs of dehydration in a child include:

• Frequent thirst
• Infrequent urination
• Dark-colored urine
• Dullness and drowsiness, dizziness, or faintness
• Dryness of mouth and tongue
• Lack of tears while crying
• No wet diapers for more than 3 hours
• Sunken eyes, cheeks, or soft spot in the skull

When Should One Seek Medical Advice?

The symptoms and signs given below necessitate the need to seek immediate medical attention for your child in order to avoid further complications.

• If fever exceeds 103 degrees
• More than three days of vomiting
• Blood in stool or vomit: blood in stool is caused by inflammation of the colon that may lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS)
• Abdominal swelling and severe pain
• Decreased amount of urination
• Excessively cold hands or feet

Measures To Prevent Food Poisoning:

Food poisoning should not be taken lightly, especially when children are involved, to avoid long-term health implications. As it is said, prevention is better than cure, and one can prevent the occurrence of food poisoning by adopting a healthy lifestyle. One needs to incorporate the following minor changes in one’s lifestyle for this purpose.

1. Avoid drinking untreated/unfiltered water or tap water.
2. Always check the expiry date of food before consuming it or giving it to your child
3. Always wash vegetables or food properly before cooking as toxic substances might be present in the form of added fertilizers used during farming. These may adversely affect your health.
4. Do not keep leftover food opened. Always keep it covered and refrigerate it.
5. Properly cooked food, especially meat, pork, fish or poultry products, is a pre-requisite for the prevention of food poisoning. Undercooked food may contain infectious bacteria and viruses. If you are giving an egg to your child, make sure to cook its yolk so that it gets solid, to avoid the harmful effects.
6. Avoid giving unpasteurized milk, soft cheese, raw egg, etc. to your child.
7. Take care of your child as well as your hygiene. Use clean utensils for cooking, properly wash food as well as wash your hands before cooking.
8. Always keep raw and cooked food separately in a refrigerator. It is recommended to wash your chopping or cutting board if you have chopped uncooked food before cutting cooked food.
9. Wash vegetables and fruits thoroughly before eating as they may contain chemicals, pesticides and other harmful ingredients

Precautions During Food Poisoning:

Medical treatment is indispensable during food poisoning. Moreover, in case of children, certain additional precautions are needed while treating them, as outlined below.

1. Do not give Aspirin to your child. It is recommended only for people above 18 years of age. The use of Aspirin may cause Reye’s syndrome, which is a serious health issue as it damages the brain and liver of your child. Mostly this syndrome is faced by children while recovering from a viral infection or flu.
2. If your doctor has prescribed antibiotics, do not stop them in between – continue till the course is finished. Stopping antibiotics before the course may not kill bacteria completely, and they may create health issues again.
3. Avoid giving any medicine for diarrhea by yourself. Generally, anti-diarrheal medications should be avoided because they may slow down the elimination of organisms or toxins from your system (1).One should give it only upon medical prescription and guidance.
4. Keep your child’s toilet and bathroom clean. In case of infants, change diapers after each use and dispose of them correctly.
5. For children who are breastfeeding or bottle-feeding, continue the regular breast milk or formula feeding as much as possible. Give an oral rehydration solution (ORS), such as Pedialyte, between feedings only if you see signs of dehydration (2).
6. If your child is having diarrhea, oral rehydration should be increased in between feeding.
7. As it is necessary to prevent dehydration, a small amount of liquid should be given at frequent intervals so as to increase the liquid quantity as your child’s tolerance level increases.
8. Do not give solid food to your child until vomiting and diarrhea stop, as solid food is not easily digestible compared to liquid food.

Home Remedies For Food Poisoning:

Nature possesses amazing healing power in itself. Hence, minor food poisoning can be effectively cured by home remedies. Nevertheless, it is advisable to seek medical help if you do not see any improvement or the condition worsens.

1. Hydration:

Take care of fluid consumption to avoid dehydration in children due to diarrhea and vomiting. Give them juice and water to hydrate them, but take care of the quantity as an excess of liquid can also cause a problem.

2. Rest:

Taking proper rest is another easy remedy. Ensure to give your child proper sleep and rest as food poisoning makes him or her weak and tired.

3. Lemon Juice:

Lemon juice is an effective home remedy for food poisoning. Just take a glass of warm water, add 1/2 teaspoon of rock salt, two teaspoons of lemon juice and mix well. Give this solution to your child three times a day. The antiseptic properties of lemon juice kill the infectious bacteria present in the stomach while lemon and rock salt water help in curing indigestion.

4. Peppermint Leaves:

Take a glass of warm water and add 6-7 peppermint leaves, crush them and extract the juice. Mix this juice with warm water. You can give this mixture twice a day for your child. Peppermint helps in aiding the digestion process, expels gas out and reduces stomach contraction.

5. Honey:

We often give honey to children because of its long list of health benefits. You can also use it as a food poisoning remedy. The antiviral and antibacterial property of honey kills the viruses and bacteria that cause food poisoning. You can give one teaspoon honey 2-3 times a day to your child. It eases intestinal discomfort and prevents excessive acid formation.

6. Yogurt:

You can give yogurt to your child in case of food poisoning as the good bacteria in it help in eliminating infectious bacteria. But yogurt should only be given when diarrhea stops.

7. Rice/Barley Water:

Rice water or barley water can also be given to your child as it helps in soothing stomach inflammation.

8. Apple Cider Vinegar:

Apple cider vinegar could be the best home remedy to treat food poisoning. You can give apple cider vinegar in warm water before solid food consumption. It eases digestion as well as kills the harmful bacteria and virus.

9. Ginger:

Ginger has been found effective in treating food poisoning. Ginger can be taken with honey, or a slice of it can be chewed. Ginger has been found helpful in treating vomiting. Its anti-inflammatory property reduces stomach inflammation and cramps.

10. Cumin:

This ingredient is an effective home remedy for reducing inflammation. Add powdered cumin to a glass of water and give it to your child in small sips. You can also add powdered cumin to herbal tea. It also helps in reducing stomach cramps

11. Garlic:

Garlic contains antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties that help in killing infectious bacteria and virus that cause food poisoning. You can give raw garlic cloves to your child that he/she can swallow with water. It is a very good remedy to treat food poisoning.

12. Banana:

Banana is helpful in minimizing the effect of food poisoning. It also helps in providing energy to the child. Moreover, it is easily digestible. You can use banana with crushed black pepper as black pepper also helps in reducing inflammation. You can give mashed banana to your child for relief.

13. Holy Basil Leaves:

Basil or Tulsi is renowned for its medicinal properties. Its anti-microbial property can eliminate bacteria in the stomach and helps in reducing the effect of food poisoning. It also helps in providing relief from stomach discomfort. To get relief from food poisoning, extract basil juice from its leaves, add some honey to it and give it to your child 2-3 times a day. Alternatively, you can add basil juice to water and give it to the child.

14. Apples:

The fruit that keeps the doctor away can treat food poisoning as well! Studies have shown that enzymes present in apples can kill bacteria and suppress their growth. So ensure to give an apple to your child as a part of his/her regular diet.

15. Fenugreek Seeds:

Fenugreek seeds are also a good remedy for treating food poisoning. They can be given to your child with yogurt. Their consumption helps in easing stomach discomfort and cramps, as well as aids digestion.

16. Papaya:

Papaya is another home remedy for treating food poisoning. Boil small pieces of papaya in a glass of water for 20-25 minutes and give this mixture to the child 2-3 times a day.

These are some of the home remedies that can be initially used to treat food poisoning. However, it is highly advisable to be attentive and consult your doctor before proceeding with any of the above-given remedies. If you see no improvement, medical attention is needed.

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The post Food Poisoning In Children- Types, Symptoms And Home Remedies appeared first on STYLECRAZE.

by Saba via STYLECRAZE