Food Poisoning Signs in Children
There are plenty of food borne illnesses that affect children in the United States. A school going child is more at risk of developing food poisoning signs as they never tend to think twice before eating any outside food. There are some food poisoning signs in children that parents should always pay attention to. A bit of carelessness, can lead to many health complications in children as their immune system is not developed to take care of a full-fledged infection.
Signs of Food Poisoning
The signs in children differ for different types of food poisoning. Some exhibit mild signs and some develop severe complications.
Toddler Food Poisoning Symptoms
Toddlers tend to have very low tolerance for food poisoning. This is because their digestive system as well as immune system is still in the development mode. There are different signs of food poisoning in toddlers according to the type of food they eat.
If a toddler experiences abdominal cramping and watery diarrhea after eating meat, it points to an E. coli infection. In case of starch and rice foods, the child will suffer from diarrhea and cramping of the intestines. Milk and cream foods lead to toddler food poisoning symptoms that include vomiting, diarrhea and dizziness. The toddler may not be able to tell the parent about the dizziness, but as a parent, one should watch out for change of gait or behavior. Lethargy is a sign of dizziness in toddlers. Fever and headaches are indicate fecal matter contaminating the food. Thus, the common toddler food poisoning symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea and tummy ache. Do not take any kind of food poisoning signs lightly and take your child to a doctor for treatment.
Food Poisoning Symptoms in Children
The following bacteria commonly cause food poisoning. Each bacteria leads to different signs and symptoms of food poisoning and none of them should be taken lightly.
Campylobacter: This bacteria causes mild food poisoning symptoms in children that leads to symptoms like fever, watery diarrhea and headaches. The campylobacter food poisoning occurs due to contaminated water, eating raw poultry and drinking raw milk.
Salmonella: Salmonella infection causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps and headaches in children. The diarrhea may lead to dehydration in children that turns into a severe complication, that may prove to be fatal. Salmonella infection is transmitted through undercooked eggs, poultry, seafood and dairy products.
Clostridium botulinum: Botulism is caused by Clostridium botulinum, that affects the nervous system. The botulism food poisoning signs begin with weakness, problems while speaking, blurred vision, droopy eyelids and difficulty in swallowing. If untreated, it may spread to the muscles causing respiratory paralysis. This bacteria is transmitted through home canned vegetables, smoked or raw fish, honey, corn syrup, cured pork or ham.
E. coli: Escherichia coli can cause severe diarrhea and painful abdominal cramps. The bacteria spread through food or water contaminated with feces.
Staphylococcus aureus: The Staphylococcal food poisoning symptoms include rapid onset of nausea, severe vomiting, dizziness and abdominal cramps. This food 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. This food poisoning is caused by rice and starchy foods.
Vibrio cholera: Cholera is identified by symptoms that include cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, headaches and fever with chills. This bacteria spreads through undercooked meat and raw seafood.
Norovirus: This odd one out does not belong to the group of bacterial food poisoning, but viral food poisoning. The hallmark sign of food poisoning in children due to norovirus is severe vomiting. This virus is transmitted through contaminated food, utensils and even surfaces. It commonly spreads in daycare centers and schools.
You need to speak to a doctor immediately, if your toddler or child shows any of these signs. Each type of food poisoning has a different set of antibiotics as well as course of treatment. Do not take the mild food poisoning signs lightly as well, you never know when a mild case turns severe. Hope the above paragraphs have helped you identify some of the food poisoning symptoms in children.
