Don't panic, here's how to deal with food poisoning in children

Food poisoning can occur if your food or drink is mixed with toxins or harmful substances. Generally, food poisoning in children is caused by indiscriminate snacking, or eating food that is improperly processed and cooked. Find out how to treat and prevent food poisoning in children in this article.

Recognizing the symptoms of food poisoning in children

Here are some symptoms of food poisoning in children that you should be aware of:

• Stomach ache
• Feeling nauseous, then vomiting followed
• Diarrhea and going back and forth to the toilet
• Fever and profuse sweating
• There is blood in the stool

How to treat food poisoning

Usually food poisoning will resolve itself within a few days. To make your child feel better, make sure they:

• Get enough rest
• Consume lots of fluids to avoid dehydration. Electrolyte drinks will be better, your child can drink anything but milk and drinks containing caffeine
• Drink small amounts of water, but regularly so that the body absorbs fluids more easily
• Do not eat solid food as long as the diarrhea has not subsided

Do not give diarrhea medicine without a prescription because it can make poisoning symptoms last longer. When diarrhea and vomiting stops, give your child low-fat, bland foods for a few days to prevent the stomach from reacting. If poisoning symptoms get serious or your child has symptoms of dehydration, contact the doctor immediately.

The doctor will ask what foods your child ate last time and since when the symptoms of poisoning occurred. Then the doctor will examine your child, starting from taking blood, stool, and urine samples to be examined in the laboratory. The results will help the doctor to determine the cause of poisoning. Usually, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics to kill the bacteria that cause poisoning.

Prevent food poisoning

Follow these tips to prevent your family from food poisoning.

• Get your family used to always washing their hands, especially after defecating, before eating, and after touching raw food. Use soap and warm water, then wash your hands for 15 seconds.
• Clean all cooking utensils you use with soap and hot water.
• Don't give your family unpasteurized (processed) milk.
• Wash all vegetables and fruit that you don't peel thoroughly.
• Keep raw foods (chicken, meat and seafood) separate from other types of food.
• Use food that is not perishable or food that has a short expiration date (not years).
• Cook animal foods at a safe temperature. For beef and pork, at least 71 degrees Celsius. Thick cuts of meat, safe temperature is 63 degrees Celsius. For chicken and turkey (chopped or chopped) at least 74 degrees Celsius. Cook the chicken eggs until the yolks are cooked. Cook the fish once it has reached a temperature of 63 degrees Celsius.
• Put leftover food in a container with a tight lid, store in the refrigerator.
• Remove any food you have stored in the freezer and place it in the refrigerator, microwave, or cold water. Food should not be thawed / thawed at room temperature.
• If the food is past its expiration date, tastes strange, or smells bad, it's better to throw it out.
• If you are pregnant, avoid eating meat or seafood raw or undercooked, seafood smoked (smoked), raw eggs, and products containing raw eggs, soft cheeses, unpasteurized milk and juices, ready-to-eat salads, and meat for lunch.
• Do not drink water from rivers or wells that are not sterilized.

If someone in your family has food poisoning, notify the health agency near where you live. The staff there may be able to explain the cause and stop the potential transmission that could affect other people.

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