Vomiting And Diarrhea In A Child Without Fever - Causes And Treatment

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-17 02:10

Vomiting and diarrhea in a child without fever

Such a phenomenon as diarrhea and vomiting without fever in children is observed quite often. It is quite natural that such a state of the child causes excitement in parents, especially if he is still very small.

Not always vomiting and diarrhea will indicate some serious illness, however, only a doctor can adequately assess the situation. Of course, parents should know the possible causes of a child's disorder, but this does not mean that there is no need to see a doctor.

Content:

• Causes of vomiting and diarrhea in a child without fever
• Causes of vomiting in a child without fever
• Causes of diarrhea in a child without fever
• Causes of vomiting and diarrhea that are safe for a child's life without fever
• What can you give a child with vomiting and diarrhea?
• Causes of vomiting and diarrhea that are safe for a child's life without fever

Causes of vomiting and diarrhea in a child without fever

Often, parents are too careless about vomiting and diarrhea in their children, if the body temperature remains normal. This is due to the fact that adults are accustomed to the temperature against the background of any disease. However, it should be noted that some pathological conditions can occur without this symptom. Perhaps the child has reduced immunity, or there are diseases of the immune system at all. As a result, the body's defenses do not react, and the body temperature does not rise.

It is also worth remembering that in infants, the symptoms of many diseases are blurred, and the deterioration of the condition occurs much faster than in older children. Therefore, in just a few hours, the baby can fall into a serious condition that carries a threat to life.

Vomiting and diarrhea without body temperature in children can occur for the following reasons:

Intestinal infection

The most common intestinal infections in childhood are rotavirus infection, dysentery, salmonellosis, and escherichiosis. They can proceed without temperature, but it is possible to increase the body temperature to subfebrile levels, and in some cases to high values.

Vomiting and diarrhea have the following features:

• Vomiting does not depend on food intake, it can be single or more frequent.
• The vomit is made up of the food the child has eaten.
• Viral infections are characterized by loose, watery stools.
• For bacterial intestinal infections, slimy stools with foam and a pungent odor are characteristic.
• Diarrhea with intestinal infection prevails over vomiting.

In addition, the following symptoms are characteristic of an intestinal infection:

• Severe cramping abdominal pain.
• Anxiety of the child, which, as diarrhea and vomiting intensifies, will be replaced by drowsiness and lethargy.
• Refusal of water and food.
• As the disease progresses, an increased body temperature may join.
• Symptoms of dehydration: drooping eyes, dryness, lack of urination, drooping fontanelle (in infancy), seizures. In no case should these symptoms be ignored.

Treatment of intestinal infections in children under the age of one year is carried out only in a hospital setting. If the child is older than a year, then the question of hospitalization is decided depending on the severity of the patient's condition.

Therapy consists of the following main activities:

• Prescription of antitoxic drugs - enterosorbents.
• Appointment of nitrofurans, Furazolidone.
• Elimination of the cause of vomiting and diarrhea: antibacterial or antiviral therapy.
• Parenteral rehydration therapy.
• Elimination of symptoms of the disease: decrease in body temperature, relief of pain.

The final stage of treatment is restorative therapy with the appointment of probiotic drugs.

Food poisoning

Childhood food poisoning most often occurs with either dairy products or breast milk. Danger is also posed by juices, fruit and meat purees of both our own and factory production.

Features of vomiting and diarrhea with food poisoning:

• Repeated, debilitating vomiting that occurs soon after eating.
• Frequent, offensive, bloody stools.
• Diarrhea and vomiting may quickly stop, but the patient's condition will worsen.

Other symptoms of food poisoning:

• Abdominal pains are severe, occur as spasms.
• The capriciousness of the child, which, as the disease progresses, is replaced by lethargy and drowsiness.
• The patient refuses food and water.

All children with suspected food poisoning are hospitalized (under the age of 3 years). As for older children, the issue of inpatient treatment is decided depending on the severity of the patient's condition.

Treatment for food poisoning comes down to the following points:

• Gastric lavage.
• Appointment of nitrofurans, Furazolidone.
• Appointment of enterosorbents.
• Parenteral rehydration therapy.
• Prescribing anti-inflammatory drugs, antispasmodics.

The course of treatment for food poisoning always ends with restorative therapy with the appointment of probiotics.

Dysbacteriosis

Vomiting with dysbiosis occurs infrequently, no more than 1-2 times per day. The stool is unstable, constipation is replaced by foamy diarrhea. Other symptoms of dysbiosis are: loss of appetite, rumbling and pain in the abdomen after eating, white bloom on the tongue. Skin reactions are possible, but not always present. These include rashes, itching, and dry skin.

Dysbiosis treatment is outpatient. To begin with, the child is offered nitrofurans for intestinal sanitation, then, against the background of nutritional correction, the intestinal microflora is restored with the help of eubiotics and probiotics.

Allergic reaction

Vomiting and diarrhea without fever may occur due to food or drug allergies. In early childhood, such a reaction often occurs to the first complementary food.

Vomiting begins soon after feeding and contains undigested food debris. In addition, the child develops itching, hives and other skin reactions. Severe allergies are accompanied by swelling of the mucous membranes of the nose and throat, and respiratory failure.

Treatment depends on the severity of the allergic reaction. In mild cases, therapy is carried out at home. Antihistamines, enterosorbents and hormones are prescribed (in severe cases).

Causes of vomiting in a child without fever

The causes of vomiting in a child without fever can be very diverse, most of them are presented in the table:

Associated signs	Therapy
Reflux esophagitis	Vomiting after feeding with acidic contents. Vomiting occurs after every meal.	The child is restless, capricious. Body weight gains poorly. Hiccups. Salivation. Asthma attacks are possible.	At home. The frequency of feedings and the size of the portions vary and the food is offered a thicker consistency. Prescribe drugs that prevent the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, as well as antacids.
Pylorospasm	Vomiting is not profuse. It occurs as early as 2-3 days of a baby's life.	The child is losing weight. To a greater extent, female infants are susceptible to the disease.	The operation, which is carried out in the case when the effect of fractional feeding and physiotherapy is not observed.
Pyloric stenosis	Fountain vomiting, occurs 20 minutes after eating. It develops at the same time as pylorospasm. The nature of the vomit is breast milk or infant formula.	Weight loss. Falling fontanelle. Pathology is more common in girls.	Only surgical treatment.
Gastritis, duodenitis. In infants, the disease develops most often from taking medications, and in older children from eating new exotic foods.	The appearance of nausea. The occurrence of repeated vomiting. Impurities of bile in vomit.	Pain in the epigastric region. Lack of appetite. Flatulence.	Therapy involves changing the diet. Portions should be small, drink frequent and plentiful, but in small doses. Drug therapy depends on the condition of the child.
Intestinal diverticulum.	Vomiting immediately after eating, but not abundant. Vomit is made up of undigested formula or breast milk. Vomiting develops from the first days of a baby's life.	Weight loss.	Treatment is only operative.
Intestinal intussusception. The introduction of one part of the intestine into another in children under a year is most often due to the illiterate introduction of the first complementary foods, and in older children due to infection with pinworms, due to polyps or intestinal tumors.	At the beginning, the child develops an acute attack of pain, after which vomiting with bile begins.	Cramping pains. Crying violently during an attack. Weakness and pallor of the skin. Bloody, jelly-like stools.	Treatment is only operative.
Diseases of the digestive system (gallbladder, liver, pancreas).	Vomiting after eating (single or multiple). Vomit contains particles of undigested food and bile. The smell is pungent, unpleasant. After an attack of vomiting, relief does not come.	Severe pain in the epigastric region. Lack of appetite. Belching and flatulence.	Treatment is carried out in the conditions of the children's gastroenterology department. The child is shown a special diet. Depending on the type of disease, enzyme preparations, hepatoprotectors, antispasmodics are prescribed.
Diseases of the central nervous system, including ischemia and hydrocephalus (for newborns), brain tumors and increased intracranial pressure (for children after a year).	Obstinate vomiting, not relieving. Vomiting develops at the peak of the headache and is not associated with food intake.	Bulging fontanelle (for children under 6 months). Drowsiness, weakness, dizziness and headaches.	Depending on the specific lesion of the central nervous system, treatment is carried out either at home or in a hospital. Drugs are prescribed to improve cerebral blood supply, or surgery is performed.
Ingestion of a foreign body.	Vomiting begins a few minutes after the incident. Vomit is represented by the contents of the child's stomach. Crimson blood impurities are possible.	Great salivation. Respiratory disorders. Anxiety on the part of the child.	Depending on the situation, either surgical treatment or observation of the child is indicated until the foreign body comes out through the intestines.

Another pathology in which vomiting is observed without fever is appendicitis. But with appendicitis, vomiting will be only the first sign of inflammation that has begun, and after a few hours, the body temperature will still increase.

Causes of diarrhea in a child without fever

The causes of diarrhea without fever in a child may be as follows:

• Intestinal infection, minor poisoning. With an intestinal infection, diarrhea is frequent, on average it happens up to 5 times per knocking. If the child has poisoning, then there will be no impurities in the stool, and if there is an intestinal infection, then the feces may have a non-standard color and slimy consistency. Since the bowel is disrupted, particles of undigested food will be present in the stool. In addition to diarrhea, the child will experience abdominal pain, the tongue will be coated with a white coating. A rash is likely. As for the treatment, it depends on the severity of the intestinal infection or poisoning. In mild cases, the child remains at home.
• Allergy to a drug. Diarrhea manifests itself a couple of hours after taking the drug. In addition, there may be skin reactions. Treatment is reduced to refusal to take the drug.
• Enteritis. Inflammation of the small intestine is characterized by severe diarrhea up to 6 times per knocking. The feces are fatty with food particles. The pains are localized in the navel area, the appetite disappears. Treatment is carried out at home.
• Parasitic infection of the intestine. The stool is unstable, diarrhea is replaced by constipation. The child loses body weight, abdominal pains like colic are possible, sleep is disturbed. Perhaps increased salivation and lethargy. Treatment is reduced to the appointment of anthelmintic drugs.
• Dysbacteriosis. The stool is frothy, has an unpleasant odor and happens up to several times a day. In this case, bloating, a deterioration in appetite is observed, pains occur in the abdomen a couple of hours after eating. Sometimes skin reactions appear, the tongue becomes covered with a dense white coating. Home treatment.

It should be remembered that diarrhea without fever can develop with other, more serious diseases. Therefore, if the diarrhea does not go away after a day, then a specialist consultation is required.

Causes of vomiting and diarrhea that are safe for a child's life without fever

Not always vomiting and diarrhea without an increase in body temperature indicate serious health problems for the child. Often these two symptoms simply accompany the natural physiological states of children.

Only vomiting (without fever and diarrhea) can occur in a child for the following reasons:

Physiological regurgitation

An infant may regurgitate milk or formula. At the same time, his health does not deteriorate, his body weight remains within normal limits. Children spit up to 20 ml at a time. The released contents are represented by curdled milk without impurities.

The reasons for physiological regurgitation can be as follows:

• Large amounts of food.
• Incorrect baby posture while feeding.
• Imperfection of the digestive tract of infants.
• Improper grip on the nipple.

To reduce the frequency of regurgitation, the baby should be held with his head slightly raised during feeding. After eating, you need to give the baby an upright position for 15 minutes. This will allow excess air to escape. It is equally important to monitor the amount of food consumed by the infant.

Teething

Vomiting at the appearance of the first teeth is not associated with food intake, its volumes are insignificant, cyclicity is not observed. It happens due to the crying of the baby during feeding, which is explained by the soreness of the gums. At the same time, during the cry, children swallow too much excess air. Also, do not force the child to eat while his teeth are being cut.

You can help your baby as follows:

• Massage the gums with your finger or with a teether.
• Apply a gel with an anesthetic component to the gums.
• Refuse force-feeding if the baby does not want to eat.

Vomiting with improper introduction of complementary foods occurs once and does not harm the health of the child. It is explained by the fact that the body either does not accept a new product, or because the enzymatic system is not yet able to cope with the introduced components.

In case of vomiting, a new product should be excluded from the child's menu for several weeks or more. After this time, you can offer it again, but in a small amount.

Psychogenic vomiting

Neurotic vomiting is typical for children after the age of three. It arises as a reaction to a certain stress factor.

Frequent causes of psychogenic vomiting are:

• Parents insisting that the child eat,
• The child has experienced strong positive or negative emotions, including resentment or excitement.
• The child is very worried before any important event for him.

If a child has episodes of psychogenic vomiting, then it is necessary to protect him as much as possible from a stressful situation and consult a child psychotherapist.

What can you give a child with vomiting and diarrhea?

Since vomiting is not an independent disease, but a symptom of body poisoning, or a sign of any infection, antiemetic drugs should not be offered to the child. Stopping vomiting with antiemetics will only aggravate the patient's condition, since all the harmful substances will remain inside and be absorbed into the blood. In the event that the cause of vomiting lies not in food poisoning, you cannot self-medicate. It is necessary to seek help from specialists as soon as possible in order to prevent serious problems with the child's health.

To stop diarrhea, you should also not give the child antibacterial drugs (Enterofuril, Levomycetin, Loperamide (Imodium), Furazolidone), since most often they will not have a therapeutic effect. Statistics indicate that in the vast majority of cases, diarrhea in childhood is triggered by a viral intestinal infection, food poisoning, or overeating. In each of the three cases, antibiotics cannot help. In addition, stopping diarrhea, like vomiting, will lead to the fact that harmful substances stay in the body longer and will continue to poison it from the inside.

Most likely, parents who independently gave an antibiotic to a child for vomiting and diarrhea will claim that both of these symptoms stopped 1-3 days after starting the drug. However, it is known that a viral intestinal infection passes on its own during these periods, which means that taking antibiotics was unreasonable and unnecessary. In case of poisoning, diarrhea stops after all the harmful substances are removed from the body. Therefore, antibacterial therapy does not have a positive effect on the course of the disease.

Nevertheless, it is possible to help the child's body cope with infection and poisoning by offering him probiotic preparations and enterosorbents. The action of the first drugs is aimed at destroying viruses, and the second at binding harmful substances and preventing them from entering the bloodstream. Therefore, in case of food poisoning, the child is given enterosorbents, and in case of intestinal infection, probiotics.

If the child is very young and is breastfed, then he is allowed to give only Smecta (enterosorbent), or probiotics Linex and Bifidumbacterin. When the child's age is over two years old, the following sorbents are prescribed for him: White coal, Enterosgel, Filtrum and Smecta. After two years, diarrhea can be eliminated with a drug called Enterol.

Also, for diarrhea, regardless of the child's age, he can be given Zincite (from 10 to 20 mg in 24 hours), or another zinc preparation. As for Zincite, the course of treatment is 10 to 14 days.

So, the first priority for parents is to restore electrolytes and lost fluids. Antiemetic drugs are not given to the child, but for diarrhea they offer either enterosorbents or probiotics, depending on the cause of the disease.

Lost fluid is restored using special saline solutions, which can be purchased at the pharmacy. The most famous of them are Regidron and Regidron Bio, but Disol and Trisol preparations can also be purchased. If there is no way to visit the pharmacy, then you can make a saline solution yourself. To prepare it, you need a liter of boiled water, a teaspoon of salt, five teaspoons of sugar. It is necessary to ensure that the sick child constantly drinks this liquid, but in small sips.

As soon as the attack of diarrhea or vomiting ends, the child should be given water or saline. Do not wait for the drug to take effect. If vomiting is repeated, then water is offered again. Babies are put to the breast as often as possible and additionally watered during feeding. Older children are fed with boiled vegetables, rice, lean meat, they are offered kefir or other fermented milk product. Food is given in small portions. Until the end of the disease, children can be on the BRYAS diet (lamb, rice, apples and crackers). The liquid must necessarily enter the body during breaks in food (at least 60 ml for babies, at least 100 ml for children after 2 years). If the child drinks the prescribed volumes of liquid, but asks for more, then you should not refuse him.

Under a categorical prohibition during vomiting and diarrhea are carbonated drinks and juices, chicken broth and milk, as well as rice water. All of these fluids will aggravate the course of the disease by dehydrating the body.

If vomiting and diarrhea are persistent and do not stop within 4 hours, then a doctor should be called so that he adequately assesses the child's condition. Hospitalization may be required, as persistent vomiting often indicates meningitis, concussion, or other severe pathology.

Situations in which calling a local doctor or an ambulance team is mandatory:

• Three or more episodes of vomiting, one after the other in less than three hours.
• Refusal of the child not only from food, but also from liquid.
• Everything that the child eats and drinks comes out with vomit.
• Lack of tears while crying.
• The child is sleepy and lethargic, with dry lips and eyes.
• Vomit contains blood impurities.
• Complaints of headaches, as well as neck muscle tension and loss of consciousness.
• Poisoning suspected.

The rest of the episodes of vomiting and diarrhea, as a rule, are successfully stopped by taking the above drugs, adequate replacement of lost fluid and electrolytes.

On the subject: what to do if a child has severe vomiting?

Causes of vomiting and diarrhea that are safe for a child's life without fever

• Power supply errors. If a child's diet is not balanced, then diarrhea can develop in him at any age. In this case, loose stools with undigested food particles appear. Often, parents are able to independently identify the relationship between diarrhea and a certain product. This diarrhea is explained by the imperfection of the digestive system of children. To avoid such situations, it is necessary to correctly introduce the first complementary foods and restrict children in carbonated water, chips, sweets, etc.
• Psychogenic diarrhea. Diarrhea of a psychogenic nature, as a rule, occurs once and occurs against the background of emotional shock. Thus, the child's vegetative system reacts to stress. To exclude such situations, it is important to protect the baby from traumatic situations as much as possible. Perhaps a single appointment of an antidiarrheal drug and the introduction of a short diet without milk and fatty foods.
• Indigestion or overfeeding of the baby. Vomiting and diarrhea will occur immediately after eating and will contain particles of undigested food. The frequency of diarrhea and vomiting does not exceed two times. A new food product (this is especially true for exotic foods), the introduction of complementary foods, or too large amounts of food can lead to indigestion. To help the body cope with vomiting and diarrhea, it is necessary to remove the unsuitable product from the child's menu and provide an adequate drinking regime.
• Strong emotional shock. An episode of vomiting and diarrhea against the background of emotional stress in children occurs, as a rule, once. Thus, the autonomic nervous system reacts to the shock. In order to prevent such situations, it is necessary to create a comfortable psychological environment for the baby, eliminate stress from his life. You can offer a drug for diarrhea and vomiting. This must be done once.
• Acclimatization when changing the climatic zone. Probably the development of vomiting and diarrhea in the first two days after the child is in the new climate zone This is due to the body's adaptive mechanisms to new conditions. To eliminate unwanted symptoms, you need to provide the child with maximum peace, not to give him new food and give up physical activity.

Author of the article: Alekseeva Maria Yurievna | Therapist

Education: From 2010 to 2016 Practitioner of the therapeutic hospital of the central medical-sanitary unit No. 21, city of elektrostal. Since 2016 she has been working in the diagnostic center No. 3.