The following article will cover some information related to food poisoning symptoms in children.
Children are at a higher risk of developing food poisoning, since they lack good hygiene, and tend to eat anything and everything that pleases them. Hence, even the slightest carelessness and neglect with respect to the eating habits of your child, may lead to serious health concerns.
Food Poisoning in Children
Children tend to have very low tolerance for food poisoning, because their digestive and immune systems are not completely developed. The signs and symptoms of food poisoning in children depends on their age, as well as the type of food consumed, and the causative agent. However, the common ones include vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.
Given below are the signs and symptoms associated with different etiological agents, as observed in children.
Campylobacter jejuni
This bacterium causes mild food poisoning characterized by fever, watery diarrhea, and headaches. Such food poisoning occurs due to contaminated water, eating raw poultry products, and drinking raw milk.
Salmonella spp
Salmonella poisoning causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, and headaches in children. Diarrhea and vomiting may lead to dehydration, which if ignored may prove to be fatal. Salmonella infection is usually transmitted through undercooked eggs, poultry, seafood, and dairy products.
Clostridium botulinum
Poisoning caused by this bacterium is termed botulism, and it affects the nervous system. The early signs and symptoms include weakness, problems while speaking, blurred vision, droopy eyelids, and difficulty in swallowing. If untreated, it may spread to the muscles, causing respiratory paralysis. This bacterium is transmitted through home-canned vegetables, smoked or raw fish, honey, corn syrup, and cured pork or ham.
Escherichia coli
Excessive growth of E. coli can cause severe diarrhea, and painful abdominal cramps. These bacteria spread through food or water contaminated with feces (fecal-oral route).
Staphylococcus aureus
This bacterium leads to a rapid onset of nausea, severe vomiting, dizziness, and abdominal cramps. Such poisoning is caused by eating cream-filled cakes, pies, salads, and dairy products especially eaten at parties and picnics.
Bacillus cereus
The signs include rapid onset of diarrhea and vomiting along with abdominal cramps, after the consumption of rice and starchy foods.
Vibrio cholerae
Cholera is identified through cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, headaches, and fever with chills. These bacteria spread through undercooked meat, and raw seafood.
Norovirus
The hallmark sign of food poisoning due to norovirus is severe vomiting. It is transmitted through contaminated food and utensils, as well as infected surfaces. It commonly spreads in daycare centers and schools.
If your toddler or child shows any of these signs, immediate medical intervention is imperative. The appropriate professional can accurately identify the causative agent, and determine the treatment regimen to be followed.
Disclaimer: This HealthHearty article is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice.
