Rattling Rotavirus

Your child is nauseous and vomiting. He has severe diarrhea. He could have rotavirus.

Rotavirus is a gastrointestinal infection that happens among young children. It causes diarrhea and vomiting. Children tend to get rotavirus during late winter to early spring.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, though anyone can get rotavirus at any age, it tends to happen among young children under age one. Before the vaccines became available for rotavirus, it used to be children under five. Children between the ages of three months and three years who don’t get vaccinated usually get the most severe disease. Usually, kids in daycare centers and other similar programs with large number of children are at a higher risk of developing rotavirus. Some children may not be able to get the vaccine because of allergy concerns.

Adults can get rotavirus as well. They tend to be less sick than young children. Some adults that can be at risk for developing rotavirus are older, care for children with rotavirus and have compromised immune systems such as HIV.

Rotavirus is spread through a person’s stool. For instance, you may change the diaper of a baby with rotavirus. If you don’t wash your hands well you risk ingesting particles in your mouth. So it is extremely important for family members to wash their hands.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, prior to vaccine introduction, almost all children in the United States were infected with rotavirus before their 5th birthday. Each year, among U.S. children younger than five years of age, rotavirus led to more than 400,000 doctor visits, more than 200,000 emergency room visits, 55,000 to 70,000 hospitalizations and 20 to 60 deaths.

Rotavirus is spread through hand-to-mouth contact. It can show up in an infected child’s poop a few days before symptoms start. It can remain in bowel movements for up to 10 days after symptoms stop.

Some symptoms of rotavirus include vomiting, fever, loss of appetite, not peeing as frequently, cool dry skin, dizziness when standing, dry mouth and throat, few or no tears when crying, lethargy, and sunken eyes or sunken soft spot on the top of the head.

In addition, babies younger than a year old can become easily dehydrated. If dehydration gets severe, a baby could start convulsing (sudden, erratic body movements) or go into shock. The condition can become life-threatening.

Symptoms of rotavirus can last three to eight days. Most children are contagious for 12 days. That is because the infection starts a few days before symptoms do.

If you think your child has rotavirus then contact your health provider immediately. Your doctor will give you a physical exam and note your symptoms. Your doctor may need to do a stool sample but it isn’t always necessary.

Rotavirus is caused by a virus, not bacteria. Therefore, antibiotics won’t work. Your child will have to wait it out and let the virus run its course. Your doctor may suggest smaller frequent meals instead of three large ones, keep your child hydrated, replace your electrolytes, give your child acetaminophen to lower fevers, wash your hands after touching a diaper or touching stools, and make sure your child rests and stays home from daycare.

A surefire way to prevent rotavirus is with one of the vaccines. About 90 percent of vaccinated children either get protected from severe rotavirus or avoid it altogether. The vaccines are given as drops, not shots, that are spaced out over a series of visits, based on age. There are two choices for vaccines including RotaTeq, which is given in three doses (at two months, four months, and six months) and Rotarix, which is given in two doses (at two months and four months).

There are very few side effects from the vaccines. If your child does experience side effects from the vaccines then they are usually mild and will go away on its own.

Perhaps the most important thing you can do to avoid rotavirus is to wash your hands thoroughly after using the bathroom and after your child uses the bathroom.  

Your child can recover in about a week from rotavirus with no long-term effects. It is vital that your child get plenty of fluids and rest in order to heal from this condition. The rotavirus vaccines are considered safe and effective and will keep your child and family healthy.