What is acute diarrhea caused by Rotavirus in children?

The article is professionally consulted by Resident Doctor, Doctor Nguyen Hung Tien - Resident Doctor of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.

Acute diarrhea is a condition in which loose, watery stools are passed more than 3 times a day. The duration of the course of the disease does not exceed 14 days. Acute diarrhea is a common disease in children of preschool age and the first years of primary school due to a loss of water and electrolytes. In particular, acute diarrhea for Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe diarrhea and even death in young children.

Rotavirus has the ability to persist in the environment. They can live for many hours on hands and many days on hard surfaces such as furniture, floors, toys, household items...
Rotavirus is spread mainly through the fecal route. sick people and spread by hand contact. Children under 1 year old are at very high risk of infection because they often touch objects with their hands and have a habit of putting them in their mouths.
Parents should note a number of factors that increase the risk of acute diarrhea caused by Rotavirus:
Children are susceptible from 6 to 11 months of age Children are malnourished, immunocompromised Due to Vietnam's hot climate In the monsoon climate, mothers need to pay attention to children in the dry and cold season. Eliminate bad habits such as: improper weaning, not washing hands with soap after removing feces or in the process of food preparation, handling feces, etc. hygienic...

About 1-2 days after being infected, children begin to have symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea. Vomiting occurs 6 to 12 hours before diarrhea or may persist for 2 to 3 days. In the first few days, children often vomit a lot and gradually reduce and then have diarrhea.
Children have loose stools like water, sometimes sauerkraut green, may be accompanied by viscous but no blood. The next few days the diarrhea increases and lasts about 3 to 9 days.
In addition, the child has additional signs such as moderate fever, abdominal pain, cough and runny nose. During this period, children are very susceptible to dehydration, the body quickly dries up, if not properly cared for, it is likely that they will need to be hospitalized for treatment.

In fact, currently there is no specific treatment for Rotavirus. When children are sick and hospitalized, doctors will treat symptoms such as rehydration by oral or intravenous infusion, fever reduction along with an appropriate diet.

With acute diarrhea caused by rotavirus, antibiotic treatment is not effective. In the mild form without complications, the disease usually resolves on its own after 3-4 days. The main treatment is prevention of complications: rehydration and electrolytes when the child is dehydrated. For children with mild illnesses, after taking them to a medical facility, they can be left at home and cared for under the guidance of a doctor. Pay attention to the following points:
Let the child drink more water than usual. You can use cooled boiled water, vegetable broth, mineral water (no gas), or give your child Oresol according to the doctor's instructions. Feed children with adequate nutrients as usual, appropriate for their age. Continue to breastfeed, if bottle-fed babies need to clean bottles, nipples and milk-making equipment more carefully than viruses, the cause of diarrhea). Perform hand washing before feeding and after cleaning the child.

Diarrhea caused by Rotavirus is highly contagious, although hygiene and sterilization measures are not enough to protect children from this infectious agent. Therefore, parents should have their children vaccinated against diseases. Because the most common and severe disease is young children, it should be prevented as soon as possible
If a child under 6 months old has acute diarrhea, go to the hospital right away because this child is very susceptible to dehydration and becomes ill. severe illness that family members may not be aware of. In an older child, if there are the following signs:
Bloody stools and signs of dehydration The child still vomits a lot, even though the parents have given the child to drink slowly, little, often The child refuses to eat or drink anything. , while still having diarrhea and vomiting a lot The child has a bowel movement too often and is afraid that he will not be able to rehydrate the child When vomiting, parents see the child's vomit is green in color The child is tired, lethargic , constant fussiness, or if you find that the child is sleeping a lot, difficult to wake up Diarrhea that does not go away after 7 days The child has a high fever and abdominal pain
Being proactive by vaccination is the most effective way to prevent disease. Currently, there are two vaccines against Rota-related diarrhea that are widely used, including: Rotarix vaccine made in Belgium and Rotateq vaccine manufactured in the United States. These two vaccines are both manufactured by major pharmaceutical companies in the world and are highly regarded for their effectiveness in immunization.
Rotarix vaccine (Belgium): Take 2 doses; the first dose is given at 6 weeks of age and 4 weeks after the next dose is given. Rotavirus vaccine should be given to infants before 24 weeks of age.
Rotateq vaccine (USA): Take 3 doses; the first dose is between 7-12 weeks of age, the remaining two doses are one month apart, the third dose must be finished before the 32nd week.
Vinmec International General Hospital offers customers a Package Immunization Program for children 0 - 1 year old with all necessary shots to protect the baby's health in the first year of life, including Rotavirus vaccine.
Vinmec uses high-quality vaccines with clear origin, ensuring safety from the stage of import, storage to use; Vinmec preserves vaccines by a cold chain meeting GSP standards with a modern cold storage system, allowing vaccines to always be preserved in the best conditions; Experienced team of pediatric doctors and nurses, able to advise and handle complex vaccination situations; Strict process: Before vaccination, all children are screened before vaccination with pediatricians - vaccines to help ensure the best health for children when vaccinated. The doctor will advise the family on the best preventive vaccines, suitable for each age group according to the latest recommendations of the Ministry of Health & World Health Organization as well as how to monitor the reaction after vaccination. -ask for; With the advantage of multi-specialty, Vinmec can effectively monitor and handle post-vaccination problems (if any); Modern facilities: Post-vaccination monitoring room is fully equipped with emergency facilities; The team of doctors - nurses are trained in anaphylaxis emergency treatment to ensure timely and correct treatment when an incident occurs. Vaccination room is airy, helping children feel comfortable and have a good mentality before and after vaccination.

According to the recommendations of medical experts, even during an epidemic, parents should still take their children to get vaccinated on time. Delaying the vaccination schedule can increase the risk of disease that has been ruled out or make infectious and superinfectious diseases such as influenza, measles, chickenpox, pharyngitis, pneumonia... become more severe and difficult to treat. than.
In the current epidemic situation, vaccination at the right time and on the right schedule is very important and necessary to promptly prevent the vaccinated disease and to not be confused with other diseases, not to cause worry for the family and friends. community. If a child has a cough or fever at this time, parents will be very alarmed as to whether this symptom is caused by Covid-19 or another disease because some of the symptoms of Covid-19 infection are like flu or respiratory illnesses. other
Within the first 5 years of life, children can only build a complete immune system, so full vaccination is an effective way to strengthen the child's resistance. Parents should note that when taking their children to get vaccinated, they must strictly follow the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health, such as wearing a mask properly, washing hands often with an antiseptic solution. In addition, parents are always updated with correct information about this strain of Covid -19 to protect themselves and their families from Corona Virus.
In areas where there is no epidemic, mothers can still have their children vaccinated according to the age-appropriate vaccination schedule, but avoid crowded places, make an appointment in advance to avoid waiting and go to the facility Trust medical facilities guaranteed.
>> See more: Should vaccinations be delayed during the Covid-19 epidemic? Expert advice by Specialist Doctor II Quach Nguyen Thu Thuy - Pediatric Center - Vinmec Times City International Hospital