What are the symptoms of intestinal obstruction in infants and young children?

Intestinal obstruction is caused by obstruction of the intestine, which leads to intestinal blockage and pathological changes throughout the body. Because the physiological functions and systems of newborn infants are not as good as those of adults, the chance of intestinal obstruction in infants is particularly high, and even more serious consequences may occur. Next, let’s take a look at the symptoms of intestinal obstruction in infants and young children. And what is the cause of the disease?

Babies and young children who take antibiotics are at increased risk for a rare intestinal obstruction called intussusception, a new study says. However, this conclusion does not mean that antibiotics will definitely cause intussusception, but it is one of the factors that contribute to the disease in infants and young children, and therefore may be one of the reasons why antibiotics should be used with caution.

"This is the first preliminary study to suggest that antibiotics may be a risk factor for intussusception, the most common intestinal obstruction in children aged 3 months to 6 years," lead author David M. Spiro told Reuters. The findings "should emphasize to parents and pediatricians that antibiotics should be used judiciously and only when absolutely necessary." The cause of intussusception is still unclear, but one study says the incidence of the disease in American children is 1 in 5,000.

Since antibiotics can affect intestinal activity, Spino and his colleagues set out to study whether antibiotic use affects the risk of intussusception, which had not been done before.

But Spino and colleagues note that more research is needed to confirm this conclusion.

Treatment of intestinal obstruction:

1. Correct dehydration, electrolyte loss and acid-base imbalance. Dehydration and electrolyte loss are related to the condition and disease type. It should be estimated based on clinical experience and blood test results. Generally, adults with mild symptoms need to replenish about 1500ml of fluid, those with obvious vomiting need to replenish 3000ml, and those with peripheral circulatory collapse and hypotension need to replenish more than 4000ml of fluid. If the condition cannot be relieved temporarily, it is still necessary to replenish the amount excreted from gastrointestinal tract decompression and urine as well as the normal daily requirements. When urine excretion is normal, potassium salt still needs to be supplemented. Low intestinal obstruction is prone to acidosis due to the loss of alkaline intestinal fluid, while high intestinal obstruction is prone to alkali poisoning due to the loss of gastric juice and potassium. Both should be corrected accordingly. In the late stages of strangulated intestinal obstruction and mechanical intestinal obstruction, there may be a loss of plasma and whole blood, resulting in hemoconcentration or blood volume deficiency. Therefore, whole blood or plasma, albumin, etc. should be supplemented to effectively correct the circulatory disorder.

(ii) Gastric decompression Decompression through gastrointestinal intubation can lead out swallowed gas and retained fluid, relieve intestinal distension, avoid aspiration pneumonia, relieve vomiting, improve circulation and respiratory distress symptoms caused by abdominal distension, and to a certain extent improve congestion, edema and blood circulation in the intestine above the obstruction. In a few cases of mild simple intestinal obstruction, the intestinal cavity can be restored to patency after effective decompression. Gastrointestinal decompression can reduce the difficulty of surgical operation and increase the safety of surgery.

As parents, we should pay more attention to our children's diet and not ignore any details. Because infants and young children's bodies are the most vulnerable at this time, the food they eat cannot be too hard or too large, which will inevitably lead to intestinal obstruction in infants and young children, or even more serious consequences.