Toddler Health: Rotavirus Signs, Origins, and Potential Complications
Rotavirus, a common cause of stomach flu, is a significant health concern for infants, toddlers, and young children. This virus spreads easily through the ingestion of rotavirus particles, which can occur by eating contaminated food, putting hands contaminated with feces into the mouth, or touching a surface contaminated with rotavirus and putting the hand into the mouth.
Symptoms of rotavirus in toddlers include watery diarrhea, vomiting, appetite loss, abdominal pain, and dehydration. Severe diarrhea can be a symptom of rotavirus, and if not managed properly, it can lead to an electrolyte imbalance.
Beyond dehydration and severe diarrhea, common complications associated with rotavirus infection in toddlers include intussusception (a form of bowel obstruction where one part of the intestine folds into another), severe allergic reactions, pneumonia, and neurological complications such as brain swelling (encephalopathy). Other less common but serious complications can include blindness and ongoing vomiting leading to hospitalization.
Intestinal damage due to rotavirus infections can also lead to secondary issues like lactose intolerance, causing prolonged gastrointestinal symptoms such as malabsorption, weight loss, and growth failure if not managed properly.
Prompt medical attention is critical if severe or unusual symptoms develop during or after rotavirus infection or vaccination. Dehydration in toddlers can lead to serious health problems, with symptoms including dry mouth and throat, dizziness, decreased urination, no or few tears when crying, and unusual fussiness or sleepiness.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that children should receive all rotavirus vaccine doses before they are 8 months old. Rotarix and RotaTeq are the two rotavirus vaccines available in the United States, and they are administered via drops into the child's mouth.
Rotavirus is most common during winter and spring months, and children who are unvaccinated against rotavirus and between the ages of 6 months and 2 years are most at risk of severe rotavirus. Someone with rotavirus is most likely to pass on the infection to others during the first few days after they recover from the virus. A person with rotavirus sheds the virus in their stool, where it can spread into the environment and cause infections in other people.
It is essential to contact a doctor if a toddler is urinating less than usual, cannot drink for several hours, has a high fever, has any signs of dehydration, is still having diarrhea after a few days, is still vomiting after 24 hours, has blood in their vomit or stool, or their health is not improving.
References:
[1] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Rotavirus. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/rotavirus/index.html
[2] Mayo Clinic. (2021). Rotavirus infection. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/rotavirus-infection/symptoms-causes/syc-20356150
[3] National Library of Medicine. (2021). Intussusception. Retrieved from https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000765.htm
[4] National Center for Biotechnology Information. (2021). Lactose intolerance. Retrieved from https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/lactose-intolerance
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