Needing Oral Input Can Be Dangerous

This week has been a scary week for our family. On Mother’s Day Night, my son started having projectile vomit. Throughout the night, he threw up 16 times. The next morning we ended up in the ER. He had to have an IV due to dehydration. The doctor then gave him zofran to stop the vomit. The vomit stopped, but then he had explosive diarrhea. After having 12 episodes of diarrhea in 8 hours with no urine, he had to have another IV. After three days, it still wasn’t slowing down. He was x-rayed, given a CT scan, had 5 blood tests, a urine sample, and two stool cultures. The doctors finally concluded that it was the rotavirus. Because it is a virus, my son has to let it run its course with no antibiotic. The doctors have been actively monitoring his blood count, hydration levels, and kidney function now for six days. It has been very scary.

So how did he get it, and how can you prevent your child from getting it?

The virus lives in the infected person’s stool. It is spread by people not washing their hands properly, and then touching things that you might touch or eat. The virus actually lives on a surface for ten days. If you touch the virus or if an object touches the virus, and it is placed in your mouth, within 48 hours you will start showing symptoms.

You can prevent it from spreading by:

·        Keeping the infected person at home until they have normal stools for 48 hours.

·        Practice good hygiene with hand washing before preparing food, eating meals and after using the restroom.

·        Spray your toilet with Lysol after someone has diarrhea.

·        Do not let your child eat food that has fallen off the floor. People walk in the bathroom and then walk all over the floor spreading germs.

·        If your child needs oral input, have things your child can safely chew on, and store them properly.

·        Keep your child’s hands out of their mouth.

For a child that needs oral input, I am shocked that we haven’t got it sooner. My son loves to mouth tables, chairs, and playground equipment. From now on, I am going to be more cautious and remind him to chew on his chewy only. I just wanted to inform other parents about this in case you also have a child that seeks oral input on objects out in public.

After seven days of this horrible virus, I can say that my son is feeling better. Even though we are not in the 48 hour period yet, he is finally having less stomach issues in a day.

If you have a baby, I also learned that there is a vaccine to help decrease the effects of this virus. IT IS WORTH LOOKING INTO.