What to feed a child with gastroenteritis

The gastroenteritis is a common disease among children and adults. Being viral, it is likely that the smallest of the house suffer it more often, since at school they are in contact with other children and can infect each other. Therefore, it is important that we know how to detect when the child may have gastroenteritis so that we can take them to the doctor to give us a diagnosis and find the best treatment for your son or daughter .

While the child is suffering from gastroenteritis, you must bear in mind that he will not be able to eat what he normally consumes, so we must modify his diet while he is sick. Otherwise it will cost you more to recover and eating other foods may not help you improve your health either. Therefore, once he begins to feel unwell and the doctor has told you that he has gastroenteritis, it will be when you start to give him the specific diet so that he can recover as soon as possible.

Find out what to feed a child with gastroenteritis to keep them from starving, but also to help them eat the right foods so they can regain good health as soon as possible.

WHAT IS GASTROENTERITIS

Gastroenteritis is a viral illness that causes abdominal pain, vomiting, dizziness, and diarrhea . Usually one of the first symptoms is a tummy ache, so your child is likely to complain about this symptom. Although you may not understand very well what is happening at first, it is possible that the tummy ache is accompanied by a feeling of dizziness, making the child much more listless and not wanting to play or talk.

In addition, you may also need to go to the bathroom more often, complain of dizziness, or lose your appetite. Another of the symptoms that the child may suffer from gastroenteritis will be that he vomits or begins to have diarrhea. Therefore, it is important that if we notice that our child may be suffering from some or more of these symptoms we take him to the doctor as soon as possible.

Your health professional will know what tests you will need to do to find out if you are really suffering from gastroenteritis. In the event that he is diagnosed with this stomach disease, he will most likely advise you to modify his diet for a few days to make the virus to be cured and, little by little, to reintroduce the products that he usually consume in his usual diet.

WHAT TO FEED A CHILD WITH GASTROENTERITIS

Unlike adults, children will not be aware of the need that, suffering from a stomach disease, they should stop consuming certain foods for a few days in order to regain their health. In addition, it is likely that (even if they feel ill) occasionally they are hungry and do not understand why they cannot eat what they normally eat.

Therefore, it is essential that you watch their diet and that you help them to consume only those suitable foods during the days that they are eliminating gastroenteritis from their body, otherwise they may have stomach pains, dizziness, vomiting and diarrhea and take longer to heal.

Something essential in everyone who is suffering from gastroenteritis is to drink water. During illness and after vomiting and diarrhea, many fluids and mineral salts are lost in the body, so it is essential to stay well hydrated . The same day the child is diagnosed with gastroenteritis, it is best to avoid eating and only drink yogurts or liquids, such as water or a chicken broth. Little by little, as you get your appetite back, you can eat white rice, banana , boiled potato, white bread or sweet ham.

We will have to reintroduce these foods little by little, so that we can see how they feel and if they cause discomfort. The child should follow this diet for at least two more days, in order to know if he is feeling better and if the stomach pains, dizziness, vomiting and diarrhea have stopped. Remember that children’s bodies are different from adults, so diet can be too. The best thing then is that you reconfirm with your doctor if this is the best diet for him while he suffers from gastroenteritis and for how many days he should follow it to regain his good health and be able to eat, little by little, normally.