Causes and prevention of enteritis in infants and young children

The immune system of infants and young children is not fully developed and their functions are not yet complete. In addition, their gastrointestinal function is relatively poor and their resistance to external infections is low. When the intestines are infected, they are unable to weaken and neutralize the virulence of bacteria and are prone to illness if handled improperly. Once infants and young children have frequent watery stools, parents become very anxious and are busy feeding them water or boiling milk. They are afraid that feeding them too much will worsen the diarrhea, and that feeding them too little will cause the baby to starve.

1. Causes of enteritis in infants and young children

Infections in the intestine are caused by bacteria and viruses, especially pathogenic Escherichia coli, which is the main pathogen. If antibiotics are used unreasonably when the baby is sick, it may cause mold to invade the intestines. Diseases other than the gastrointestinal tract, such as inflammation of the upper respiratory tract, pneumonia, nephritis, otitis media, etc., can reduce the secretion of digestive enzymes and increase intestinal motility due to fever and absorption of bacterial toxins. Improper feeding of infants and young children, causing babies to eat too much, too little or too early, eating too much starchy or fatty foods, sudden changes in food, sudden weaning, etc., can all cause diarrhea in babies. Climate changes, such as being too cold can increase intestinal motility, while being too hot can reduce the secretion of gastric acid and digestive enzymes, and can also induce acute gastroenteritis. In addition, the fetus grows in a bacteria-free greenhouse environment in the uterus, and immediately after birth it grows in an environment contaminated by numerous bacteria and viruses. Its resistance is too weak, and its digestive function and regulatory functions of various systems are also relatively poor. Therefore, newborns are prone to digestive dysfunction and infectious diarrhea.

2. Prevention of enteritis in infants and young children

Enteritis in infants and young children is mostly caused by indigestion, so the most important thing to prevent it is to ensure the cleanliness of food and its safe storage. Infants and young children should try not to eat raw or cold food sold on the street. If they do eat food at home, they should boil it or use other methods to wash, disinfect and sterilize it. All eating utensils for infants and young children must be strictly disinfected, and prepared milk powder or half-drunk milk powder should not be left at room temperature for too long. If there is a patient with diarrhea at home, the patient should be isolated and the utensils used for defecation, vomiting and other excretions should be disinfected. Pay attention to household hygiene, install screens on windows, kill flies and cockroaches, avoid taking infants and young children to public places, and people who take care of children should wash their hands frequently to avoid transmitting germs to children.

Babies are the most fragile when they are infants and young children, and they do not know how to express their feelings in words. It is very important for parents to know more about the causes and prevention measures of infant enteritis for their children's future hygiene education and healthy growth.