Gastroenteritis In Children

Worldwide, gastroenteritis kills 3 million to 5 million children every year, primarily in developing nations where sanitation and health care are poor. Most of these children die from extreme dehydration (abnormally low levels of body water) resulting from a combination of severe diarrhea, vomiting and not drinking enough fluids. Even in the industrialized world, millions of episodes of gastroenteritis occur each year, especially in young children. In the United States, rotavirus infections are responsible for more than 3 million cases of gastroenteritis in children each year, with at least 50,000 hospitalizations and 20 to 40 deaths.

Overall, about 90% of children with gastroenteritis in the United States have such mild symptoms that they do not need to be treated by a doctor. Occasionally, however, gastroenteritis can lead to severe dehydration and other dangerous complications. This is more likely to happen in infants, children with chronic illnesses and children taking immune-suppressing medications.

Symptoms

In children, symptoms of gastroenteritis include:

• Mild diarrhea

• Abdominal pain

• Cramps

• Vomiting

• Irritability (fussiness)

• Poor appetite

Some children also have a low-grade fever or complain of a headache.