What makes you think if your baby has rotavirus?

Or does it just run it's course? Cameron has had diaherrea for 3 days now. He was vomiting for the first 1.5 day. It seems like as much is going in is as much as coming out. He is tired and sleeping way more than usual. He has a 99.9 temp. I know to keep an eye out for dehydration but wondered if anything can be done?

Carson also had a corneal abrasion and was extremely fussy for 3 days. Apparently it is painful but he is all better now. I am just praying that Carson doesn't get what Cameron has.

It's been a long week...

 

I'm sorry to hear about the sickness! :hug99: There is nothing quite like sick twins.

Rotovirus is nasty, but there is really no way to prevent kids from getting it. Here are the symptoms -

What are rotavirus symptoms?

The time period from initial infection to symptoms (incubation period) for rotavirus disease is around 2 days. Symptoms of the disease include fever, vomiting, and watery diarrhea. Abdominal pain may also occur, and infected children may have profuse watery diarrhea up to several times per day. Symptoms generally persist for three to nine days. Immunity from repeated infection is incomplete after a rotavirus infection, but repeated infections tend to be less severe than the original infection.

Rotavirus infection can be associated with severe dehydration in infants and children. Severe dehydration can lead to death in rare cases, so it is important to recognize and treat this complication of rotavirus infection. In addition to the symptoms of rotavirus infection discussed above, parents should be aware of the symptoms of dehydration that can occur with rotavirus infection or with other serious conditions.

Symptoms of dehydration include:

* Lethargy
* Dry, cool skin
* Absence of tears when crying
* Dry or sticky mouth
* Sunken eyes or sunken fontanelle (the soft spot on the head of infants)
* Extreme thirst

Try to keep your little one hydrated. Offer BM or formula often, if that hurts his tummy or makes him throw up more then Pedialyte or juice is a good substitute. Don't hesitate to go to the ER if you need to if he seems really sick or dehydrated. I've heard that when kids have rotavirus they have the worst smelling diarrhea. :bad:

I hope your little guy gets to feeling better soon!

 

Oh no Chris! Rotavirus is so awful. Babies can dehydrate really quick, so I wouldn't hesitate to take him in either. Hope he is feeling better soon. :hug99: s to all of you!

 

:hug99: Hope Cameron feels better soon. We had rotovirus make it's rounds in our house during May. Not really much you can do just make sure to keep them hydrated and be sure to have LOTS of diapers and rash ointment on hand. To me, it seems that projectile pooping tends to make them rashy in mere seconds.

My house is finally starting to smell normal again.

:hug99: to you too Mom, it's so hard to watch your babies be sick and not be able to make them better.

 

fortunately our 2 didn't have any vomiting but they had the worst smelling diarrhea - it was foul...if they keep throwing up the formula the doc told us to offer pedialyte..fortunately ours were on soy formula anyway because dairy formula or dairy in general is not recommended.

 

We had rotavirus confirmed by our Pedi. What led up to us going to see him was very bad diarrhea, worse than anything they'd ever had before and getting worse each day. They also slept way more than usual and were less interested in their favorite/fun activities. They ate a lot less than normal and one of them pretty much stopped drinking formula all together. They were basically not themselves at all. The pedi told me that rotavirus is easy for a doctor to spot because it has a very distinct rotten-egg smell. I happened to have 2 poopy diapers in a ziplocs with me because I wanted to show him how disgusting/not normal it was. He took one look/smell and said, yep that's rotavirus.

It took our boys almost 3 weeks to get over it. In that time, they ate very little and lost 12-15% of their body weight. I was worried to death about them the whole time. The pedi said just keep an eye out for the signs of dehydration and bring them back in or to the hospital if necessary. We tried to get pedialyte in them as much as possible. Dehydration with rotavirus is a very serious issue - please make sure you are working closely with your doctor to keep an eye on them if you suspect rotavirus.

Sorry you have to go through this, it is truly awful. I hope they get better soon!

 

yuk rotovirus is nasty they way to tell if its rotavirus is the SMELL once youve smelt it u will never forget that awful smell. thers nothing u can do but try as much as possible to keep cameron hydrated it has to run its course. it is VERY VERY contagious so i would lysol eveything that cameron touches. also wash your hands ALOT!!! i honestly think in a 24 hour perios when mine had it that i washed my hands at least 200 times lol. but u can catch it also so just be careful.
hope cameron feels better soon.

 

Just wondering... anyone here whose babies got vaccinated?? Mine are due to get first one this Tuesday. It's a newer oral vaccine and I am trying to prepare for any side effects. I guess it's a live virus and can give mild diarrhea.

Hope your babies recover quickly.
Mj

 

PPs are right...once you smell rotavirus, you will recognize it forever! It has a fragrance all it's own and it's just horrid.

Our boys were really ill with it and I totally agree that you shouldn't hesitate to call the pedi or take them in if you think they should be seen. The dehydration with rota can happen really quickly.

Hope everyone is well again soon :hug99:

 

My girls had the vaccine last year and had no side effects at all. It was great that it's just a liquid since they get so many shots in that first year!! I'm so glad we did it since they had ear infections all winter so the rotovirus on top of that would not have been too fun!

 

My boys had the vaccination that is why I was wondering if it was rotavirus. It is a liquid for the one poster who asked. It sure did smell though so who knows. He didn't wake up with a dirty diaper so I am hoping that it may be on it's way out the door! Time will tell....

 

Chris, my ped told me that there are numerous viruses that are almost exactly like rotavirus, so if he didn't have that exact virus, he may have had one of the others that is almost identical to it. Glad to hear that it sounds like he may be getting better.

 

My Maggie and Mark had it at the same time. The bm was very musterdy/pasty looking...even Mark who was just nursing at the time.

I see that your babies are a bit young...but now when my kiddos get a fever and I need to keep them hydrated....instead of pediolite, I use watermelon!! It is great...cool, lots of water and has minerals as well that the body needs. My kids just love it. Have not used it yet on the twins....but they are getting close!\

Hang in there....it does get better, and now they will have natural immunity!!

 

Excerps about Rotavirus taken from Here.

Rotaviral infections pose a serious threat to the health of our children. Last year alone, 500,000 children visited a doctor and 70,000 of these were hospitalized after catching the rotaviral "bug." Mild cases may become evident only with respiratory systems such as cough and runny nose; more serious infections may lead to fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and severe dehydration. In extreme circumstances children must be hospitalized for special therapy to replace their bodies’ natural fluids and restore chemical balance.

Parents should watch for the characteristic time course of the infection. It begins 1 to 3 days after exposure. The most common age for infection is infants 6 to 24 months old, but it can occur in all age groups, including adults.

The illness usually starts with an occasional bout of loose runny stools, and quickly progresses to frequent, watery diarrheal bowel movements. Intermittent vomiting frequently accompanies the diarrhea and this can lead to a dehydrated state. The signs of dehydration include: absence of saliva in the mouth, no wet diapers or signs of urination for several hours, extreme lethargy and weakness, and tearless crying. Laboratory diagnosis is easily accomplished. A rapid test for the Rotavirus can be made on stool samples taken from infected children suspected of being infected The child is contagious or may transmit the virus to others as long as the diarrhea continues. Scrupulous attention to cleaning techniques needs to be kept up for some time, however, since infected children may actually shed the virus in the stools for up to 1 to 2 weeks after resolution of symptoms.

Unfortunately, the majority of viral infections are not readily treatable with antibiotics. The cornerstone of treatment consists of preventing dehydration until the child clears the infection on their own. The best therapy is the continued intake of clear fluids containing sufficient carbohydrates and electrolytes. These fluids, known as rehydration solutions, have proven extremely effective in restoring normal body fluid balance when diarrhea is present. This approach requires a parents full attention since the fluids must be given slowly and in small amounts. Parents need to consult their child’s doctor for the exact type of fluids and frequency of feedings. Since the goal of treatment is to prevent dehydration, anti-diarrheal medication such as kaopectate and pepto-bismol are generally not recommended in the management of diarrhea in infants and children.

Hope that helps, :hug99: I hope your little one gets better soon.