We often witness cases of food poisoning among children. In many cases, parents do not realize it is poisoning in the initial stage.
It is interesting, what are the initial symptoms of food poisoning? What should parents do first in such cases?
Pediatrician Shalala Polukhova gave a statement to AzEdu.az regarding the topic.
Our interviewee noted that it is very important to understand and recognize the problem in the early stages:
"If we are talking about food poisoning, it should be noted that clinical symptoms begin rapidly. That is, symptoms appear a few hours after consuming the food, and complications may be observed in the child. Certain symptoms gradually emerge.
The most common initial symptom we encounter is primarily vomiting. The child feels nauseous and starts vomiting, and vomiting occurs repeatedly. In addition to vomiting, the child complains of abdominal pain, especially pain in the stomach area, which accompanies nausea. In older children, spasm-type, spastic pains are more frequently observed.
Body temperature may rise in some cases, but this is not a specific symptom, meaning it may not always rise. The child also experiences general weakness, loss of appetite, and headache. Due to frequent vomiting, symptoms of dehydration may develop. When the process moves to the intestines, diarrhea is observed.
If these symptoms begin 1-2 hours after food intake, it is more likely related to food poisoning by toxins. If the symptoms begin within 8 to 24 hours, then vomiting and diarrhea caused by bacterial infections are more probable".
What should a parent do first?
"First and foremost, there is no need to panic. It should be noted that most of these cases usually resolve within a few days. The main thing is to take the correct and important steps in a timely manner.
We must prevent dehydration in the child. In any viral infection, febrile conditions, virus-related vomiting, and also in cases of poisoning where vomiting has occurred, the p loses water. Therefore, preventing dehydration is very important. The child should be given small amounts of water and fluids frequently. Oral rehydration solutions can be used. These solutions help to somewhat alleviate vomiting and restore lost fluids. It is recommended to give 1 teaspoon of fluid every 5-10 minutes.
One should not rush to feed immediately. For example, if a child has vomited 5 times, it is not correct to feed them immediately. Suppose the child has not eaten during lunchtime; there is no need to rush to feed them immediately. Forced feeding in the first few hours can increase vomiting.
During vomiting, the most important thing is fluid intake. If the child is continuously vomiting, they should not be kept at home in a dehydrated state, and an ambulance should be called immediately or the emergency department should be contacted. After vomiting subsides, initial intervention has been made, and the child's condition stabilizes, meaning they are no longer vomiting, one can start with light foods.
When we say light foods, we are not talking about fatty, very spicy, or sugary foods. More suitable foods are boiled rice, mashed potatoes, and products like a little banana. Adhering to a diet is very important in these cases.
Sometimes parents, relying on someone else's experience, for example, saying "the neighbor's child had this," try to give antibiotics. Unfortunately, this advice is absolutely not recommended. If children have diarrhea, giving various preparations to stop diarrhea is also not correct. If the fever is high, age-appropriate antipyretic medications can be used, but medication use without a doctor's advice is dangerous.
If the child has severe abdominal pain and cannot bear the pain, if the child is younger than 6 months (an infant), if the child is continuously and frequently vomiting, if symptoms of dehydration are observed after vomiting (lack of tears, dry mouth and lips, dry skin), if the child has diarrhea, especially bloody diarrhea, if the fever is very high, and if the child is generally weak, lethargic, and prone to sleep, the child should not be kept at home. Even if it's the weekend and a doctor is not working, waiting is not advisable. In this case, it is necessary to immediately take them to the emergency room or call an ambulance home".
