With flu season around the corner, parents often worry about their children getting sick with a stomach bug like the norovirus or rotavirus. Fortunately, it is easy to reduce the risk of your child developing a stomach bug by taking certain precautions. Are you wondering what these include? Here are some helpful tips from a local pediatric care provider:

Increase Fluid Intake

The most important thing you can do when your children are suffering from a stomach bug is to have them drink plenty of fluids. This will help their body stay hydrated and flush out any stomach acids that may have built up in their stomach.

If your child is not feeling up to drinking liquids, you may want to try adding a little lemon juice and some sugar to make it taste better. You also can add in a little bit of salt if they are having trouble keeping water down. You also may want to consider giving them Pedialyte or other electrolytes if they show signs of dehydration and/or vomiting.

Your pediatric care provider will recommend keeping children away from caffeinated beverages because caffeine has been shown to increase nausea in some people with stomach bugs. If there is any concern about food poisoning, it is best to wait 24 hours after the fever goes down before introducing any solid foods back into the diet.

How Should You Handle School?

Keeping your child home is the best way to prevent others from catching the stomach flu. If your child has been diagnosed with stomach flu, you’ll need to keep them away from other children and ensure they get plenty of rest for their immune system to heal. 

If your child is active in extracurricular activities, you will need to weigh their desire for socialization against their need for rest. Ultimately, any knowledgeable pediatric care provider will recommend keeping them home until they are no longer contagious. Most pediatricians recommend that children stay home and rest for 24 to 48 hours after recovering from stomach flu. This will allow the virus time to clear their system and limit the chance of infecting their classmates.

When to Call Your Pediatrician

If your children are exhibiting the following symptoms, it is time to call your pediatrician immediately:

• Blood in their stool or vomit.
• High fever
• Difficulty breathing, wheezing or chest pain.
• Lethargy and no interest in eating or drinking fluids.

It’s important to act fast to make sure your child recovers as quickly as possible. Visit your pediatric care provider as soon as possible so he or she can diagnose the problem and prescribe medication if needed. 

Final Thoughts

If you have never experienced the stomach flu with your child, count yourself lucky — it can be rough, to say the least. But you don’t have to fret even if your children get the stomach flu this season. You can do a few things to take care of them and help speed up the recovery process. Follow these steps, and you will have your little ones back on their feet in no time.

Looking for an Affordable Pediatric Care Provider in Northwest Indiana?

Is your child showing symptoms of a stomach bug or the flu? If so, and if you’re looking to schedule a visit with an affordable pediatric care provider in area, look no further than 219 Health Network. We have a team of licensed pediatricians on staff who specialize in providing the necessary care for infants and children. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.