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What should parents do when their child has food poisoning?
Food poisoning is when bacteria get into a food or drink that you cannot taste, smell or see. These microorganisms have a very serious effect on your baby's body.
Here are some tips to help parents know what to do when discovering their baby has food poisoning:
Methods of diagnosis and testing for food poisoning
Most people will recognize food poisoning because the symptoms are quite typical. If the symptoms are mild, you do not need to see a doctor and give your baby specific treatment other than making sure to drink enough fluids.
However, it's important to take your baby to the doctor right away if your baby is unwell, especially if he is dehydrated. Your doctor may ask you questions about recent trips abroad or anything related to whether your child has eaten or drank contaminated food or water. The doctor will also examine your child for signs of dehydration.
Your doctor may order a stool sample and send it to a lab to find out the cause of the infection. Stool testing is not always necessary. Your doctor may recommend that test in certain cases, such as:
The baby has just gone abroad;
The baby is not well;
Your baby has blood or mucus in the stool;
Your baby's diarrhea doesn't get better after a week;
The baby has recently been hospitalized or has been treated with antibiotics ;
Your baby has another medical condition, especially if it affects the immune system;
If the doctor is not sure that your child has food poisoning or intestinal infection (gastroenteritis).
The reason a stool test is not always necessary, because in many cases, knowing what kind of germs your baby is infected with does not help with treatment. Most food poisoning cases go into remission before the stool test results.
If your child is unwell, parents need to take their child to hospital. In this case, the doctor may recommend additional tests such as blood tests, tomography or spinal puncture, to look for evidence of the spread of germs to other parts of the body.
When should I take my baby to the doctor?
Most children with intestinal infections caused by food poisoning have mild symptoms getting better within a few days. It is important for parents to make sure there is enough water for their baby's body. In many cases, you don't need to see a doctor.
However, you should see a doctor in the following cases:
Baby under 6 months old;
Your baby has other underlying medical conditions, such as heart or kidney problems, diabetes, a history of preterm birth ;
The baby has a high fever ;
If you suspect your child is dehydrated;
Baby falls asleep or lethargic;
The baby was sick with vomiting and kept passing loose stools;
Passing out or vomiting blood;
The baby has severe colic;
Infected babies when they just go abroad;
If your baby has severe symptoms, or if you feel your baby's condition is getting worse;
If your baby's symptoms do not go away (eg, vomiting for more than 12 days, or diarrhea that doesn't get better after 3−4 days);
If there are any other symptoms you're concerned about.
The best way is that parents should ensure food is safe, hygienic and quickly bring their baby to the doctor if there are signs of food poisoning for the best treatment!
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