What Causes Diarrhea in Small Children?
The main cause of diarrhea in children under 5 years of age is rotavirus, which causes gastroenteritis – inflammation of the inner layer of the stomach and small intestine.
Symptoms of Stomach Flu
Symptoms of rotavirus infection resemble influenza – from here the term stomach flu. There is no connection between stomach flu and influenza, though. Symptoms of stomach flu (viral diarrhea) include:
- Fever, headache, followed by..
- ..watery diarrhea and vomiting that appear 1-2 days after infection and usually last for 3-8 days (1).
- Symptoms of dehydration: drowsiness or restlessness, thirst (which may not necessary be present!), decreased urination, or, in severe cases, sunken eyes, sunken fontanel, and decreased consciousness.
- In the Western world, rotavirus diarrhea is usually a mild disease, but in some parts of Africa, Middle and South America and south Asia over 1 million of children dye from it each year, mainly from dehydration.
continue reading Viral Diarrhea in Small Children ~ Stomach Flu Symptoms & Treatment
