Correct diet for rotavirus infection in a child

Why is diet important for rotavirus infection in children? The fact is that the child's body is still weak and prone to various diseases. It is very important to help him cope with viruses faster. Certain foods can worsen a child's condition, so it is important to make the right meal plan during and after rotavirus infection.

Rotavirus is a dangerous infection that spreads into the stomach and intestines. The virus is transmitted by airborne droplets from person to person. At the onset of the disease, symptoms are similar to those of an acute respiratory illness. Coughing, runny nose, sneezing may begin, then the temperature rises. Therefore, it is difficult to diagnose the disease immediately. This contributes to the fact that the infection spreads more.

Children can become infected not only by airborne droplets through contact with a virus carrier, but also through household items. The virus enters the intestines instantly. After a while, severe vomiting and diarrhea begins. All this is accompanied by severe abdominal pain, fever and general weakness. Dehydration occurs, so the child's condition worsens.

Dehydration of the body is extremely dangerous with this disease. If it is not eliminated in time, then serious complications can arise. Therefore, it is necessary to constantly offer the child water. It must be remembered that the less the baby weighs, the sooner dehydration can occur.

Rotavirus is highly drug resistant. At the moment, there are no drugs that can be used to prevent and treat this disease. You can help the body already during the illness, and nutrition plays an important role in recovery.

Nutrition during illness

What are the features of the diet for rotavirus infection? What can you eat and what is strongly discouraged? During illness, you should adhere to the following rules:

1. Meals should be frequent, but fractional. Babies should be fed small portions to avoid vomiting again.
2. If the child does not feel well and refuses to eat, then there is no need to force him to eat. The main thing is not to exclude drinking under any circumstances.
3. All food for children must be cooked exclusively by steam, or simply boiled thoroughly and finely chopped.
4. Children who are bottle-fed are advised to replace the milk formula with a lactose-free one.
5. Babies who eat breast milk do not need to change and exclude it. Mother's milk has medicinal properties and can speed up the baby's recovery. Feeding should be on demand, not hourly.

If you correctly formulate the diet during illness, then recovery will come much faster.

What foods can and cannot be consumed?

How to feed a child with rotavirus infection? The following foods can be given during the infectious period:

• porridge on water, without milk and butter: oatmeal, buckwheat, rice, semolina;
• low-fat broth, to which you can add some vegetables or cereals;
• steam-cooked omelet on water;
• fresh cottage cheese without additives;
• steamed meat or fish cutlets;
• baked apples without peel;
• low-fat dairy products: acidophilus, biolact, bifidok;
• homemade crackers without additives;
• steamed vegetables.

After recovery, proper nutrition should be observed for several days. If this is not done, then the virus can reappear in the child's body.

During illness and for some time after recovery, it is strongly discouraged to consume the following foods:

• milk, sour cream, yoghurts and cottage cheese with additives;
• fatty soups;
• fatty meat and fish;
• sausages;
• raw vegetables and fruits;
• berries and jam;
• cocoa and chocolate;
• fresh white and black bread;
• rolls, cookies and gingerbread;
• various sweets;
• pearl barley, millet, barley groats;
• any canned food;
• sauces and gravies;
• mushrooms;
• nuts;
• smoked meats and pickles;

The use of prohibited foods can only worsen the well-being of the child, increase vomiting, diarrhea and dehydration.

What can you drink if you have a rotavirus infection?

During illness, it is necessary to monitor the intake of a sufficient amount of fluid in the child's body. This is the main condition for a speedy recovery. Dehydration can lead to undesirable consequences, including death. Therefore, you need to do everything possible to prevent a lack of fluid in the body.

For rotavirus, give clean water in small sips. If the child drinks a lot at once, he may start vomiting again. Therefore, you need to give to drink a little so that the water is gradually absorbed by the body.

In addition to water, water-salt solutions should be given. You can buy them at the pharmacy or make your own. You can also offer your child herbal teas with chamomile or mint. These herbs are beneficial for the stomach.

When the baby begins to recover, he can start drinking rice water, jelly or compote from rose hips, apples or dried berries. In no case should you give him carbonated drinks and milk.

Drink recipes

To help the child's body, you can prepare simple solutions and offer them to the child little by little. During the period of illness, the following drinks will be useful:

1. Homemade solution. It is necessary to prepare 1 liter of boiled water, add 2 tbsp. l. sugar, 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. soda. Stir all this well and give the child 1 tbsp every 10 minutes. l.
2. Raisin solution. You need to take half a glass of raisins and boil it in 1 liter of water for 20 minutes. Then the solution must be cooled, filtered through a sieve, after kneading the raisins. After that, you need to add 4 tsp to the drink. sugar, 1 tsp. salt and 0.5 tsp. soda. Children should be given 1 tbsp. l. every 10 minutes.
3. Rice broth. It is necessary to boil 2-4 tbsp. l. rice in boiling water until soft. Then rub the cereal through a sieve and strain the liquid. Then add a pinch of salt and baking soda. Drink during the day for 1-2 tbsp. l.

These simple drinks can help your child recover faster.

How to eat after illness

After the transferred rotavirus, proper nutrition must be observed for about 2 more weeks. This is necessary for the body to fully recover from the infection. During this period, you should refrain from the following foods:

• legumes: peas, lentils, beans;
• cold and hot meals and drinks;
• dairy products;
• porridge with milk;
• beets, cabbage.

Even if all the symptoms have completely disappeared, and the child looks vigorous and healthy, you should not rush to the introduction of these products.

The correct diet during and after illness helps the body to quickly cope with the dangerous virus. It performs several important functions:

• facilitates the work of the digestive tract;
• accelerates the healing process;
• prevents dangerous dehydration;
• provides a quick supply of nutrients.

With proper treatment and adherence to all medical recommendations, the child's recovery occurs in 3-4 days. For a while, the body develops strong immunity to rotavirus.