PENNSYLVANIA, USA — Those who have kids probably already know: stomach bug season has arrived.
Dr. Vinitha Moopen with WellSpan Health discussed what to expect this winter, how to care for sick children and when kids should see a doctor.
The physician said that this year, doctors are seeing kids of all ages come down with a stomach virus. Prevalent symptoms include vomiting, non-bloody diarrhea, low-grade fevers, belly pains and fatigue.
"You're going to focus on hydration," Dr. Moopen said. "You want your kids to be hydrated at home as much as possible. Small, frequent sips of fluid all throughout the day, as much as they can take."
Younger and sicker kids can be at a higher risk of becoming dehydrated, but good news: they tend to bounce right back once they receive an IV or proper fluids.
"When they're sick, you don't want to give them large volumes [of fluid], because that's going to make them throw up," the physician said.
The bug may only last a day or two, but it spreads quickly.
"It's pretty contagious," Dr. Moopen said. "You want to try your best to make sure that you're cleaning your surfaces, you're washing your hands, if there's laundry you're setting it on the sanitary cycle. You're trying to keep it as clean as possible. With small kids it's hard, but try your best to keep things clean."
Dr. Moopen says there's no reason to keep a child's sibling home from school if they are not experiencing symptoms, and the sick child can usually go back to school once they have been symptom-free for 24 hours.
Dr. Moopen recommends getting infants and young children vaccinated against rotavirus, which is a common cause of vomiting and diarrhea. Babies can receive the vaccine when they are as young as 2 months.
Bugs like this pop up every year, but that doesn't make them any more fun to deal with.
Oftentimes, a stomach virus can be weathered at home, but kids may need to see a doctor depending on the severity of their illness.
"If they're not able to keep anything down, if they look tired, if their urine output comes down—then you need to bring them in and we need to take a look and make sure they're not getting dehydrated," Dr. Moopen said.
To make an appointment with WellSpan, go here.