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As we hustle with our little ones during their first few months with the biweekly pediatrician appointments and the scheduled vaccinations, we’re often clueless about what we’re doing but we do it anyway. I personally didn’t know that Rotavirus even existed until I saw its vaccine in the vaccinations notebook; I didn’t actually think it’s something common until my nephew was infected with it.
What is Rotavirus?
Rotavirus is a highly contagious virus that mainly causes severe diarrhea and thus dehydration in some cases, and is often a result of lack of hygiene (hand-washing to be specific) and/or consuming contaminated food or water. Both children and adults can get infected by Rotavirus, but it’s more common among children.
Infection by Rotavirus
Via: First Cry Parenting – Rotavirus
Infection by Rotavirus can happen through hand-to-mouth contact. The virus exists in the infected person’s stool days before and after the symptoms appear. Therefore, if the child doesn’t wash their hands after using the toilet, they can contaminate whatever they touch.
How to spot Rotavirus?
Via: WebMD – Rotavirus
Infection by Rotavirus can cause the following symptoms, which can last between three to eight days:
- Diarrhea
- Fever
- Vomiting
- Abdominal pain
However, your child needs to see the doctor in case of:
- Persistent diarrhea (more than 24 hours)
- Frequent vomiting
- Black, with mucus, or bloody stool
- Fever that is 40°C or higher
- Dehydration
Treatment of Rotavirus
Via: Mom Loves Best – Rotavirus
According to WebMD, there’s no medical treatment to be prescribed for Rotavirus infection. Doctors might prescribe meds to ease the symptoms only.
However, since diarrhea, as well as vomiting from the infection, can last for days, you are advised to give your child a lot of fluids to compensate for its loss and combat dehydration. You’re also advised to avoid giving your child the following foods/drinks, as they might trigger vomiting and/or make diarrhea worse:
- Milk
- Apple juice
- Cheese
- Sugar and sweet foods
Prevention of Rotavirus
Via: iStock – Rotavirus
- Practicing good hygiene, such as frequent hand-washing, using hand sanitizers, and disinfecting surfaces, is very important to prevent the infection; however, nothing is 100% guaranteed to ensure prevention.
- Ensure that your child is vaccinated against the Rotavirus. The Rotavirus vaccine is amongst the factors that greatly help eliminate the spread of the virus amongst children.
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