How to treat salmonella infection in babies and what are the symptoms

Sometimes young children may be infected with salmonella by eating improperly cooked food, such as undercooked eggs or infected meat, which can cause vomiting, diarrhea, fever, headache, abdominal cramps and other signs of poisoning. So how to treat salmonella infection in babies and what are the symptoms?

Causes of salmonella infection in babies

Some baby poultry, such as ducklings, chickens, turkeys and geese, can carry dangerous salmonella, which can make them look healthy but dangerous. Sometimes the salmonella is found in feathers, beaks or in plants and soil.

Salmonella can be spread by touching or hugging infected poultry, but it can also be found in uncooked poultry, milk, fish, and dairy products. It can also be spread by people who eat or handle food.

Symptoms of salmonella infection in babies

Salmonella can make your baby sick with vomiting, diarrhea, fever, headache, abdominal cramps and tiny pink spots on the skin.

The baby has a fever, accompanied by fatigue, loss of appetite, sore throat and cough. As the condition worsens, the body temperature rises in a step-like manner, reaching 39℃~40℃ within 5-7 days.

The fever persists for 1 to 2 weeks, accompanied by a special poisoned look, apathetic expression, abdominal distension, constipation or diarrhea, and elevated body temperature that is not proportional to the pulse rate.

How to prevent salmonella in babies

Cook food properly: If you want to protect your child from salmonella poisoning, make sure you cook meat properly. With adequate cooking, the salmonella will die and will not harm your baby.

Cook eggs properly: When you offer eggs to your baby, make sure they are cooked properly. Do not use broken eggs, as broken eggs have a high risk of containing salmonella.

Keep it clean: Salmonella can also be spread through cross-contamination, so make sure to thoroughly clean the cutting board and any containers you use to cut and cook meat.

Avoid raw foods: Certain foods like chocolate mousse, Italian desserts, cookie dough, and homemade ice cream contain raw eggs, so it is best to avoid eating these foods in children to avoid poisoning.

Wash your hands thoroughly: To prevent salmonella infection, it is important to maintain basic cleanliness. Therefore, keep your hands clean at all times, and be sure to wash your hands before eating and after going to the toilet, and before cooking.

Be careful with pets at home: If you have pets at home, be very careful about their feces. Be sure to wash your hands after petting the pet, and avoid contact between your baby and the pet. If you do come into contact with the pet, wash your hands immediately.

Pay attention to refrigerated food: Do not leave cooked food at room temperature for too long. Sometimes due to high temperature or humidity, it is easy for food to spoil and produce bacteria. Therefore, it is best to store it in the refrigerator.

How to treat salmonella in babies

For patients with uncomplicated gastroenteritis, it is not necessary to use antibiotics, because the use of antibiotics does not shorten the course of the patient's illness, but instead promotes the production of drug-resistant strains in the intestines, prolongs the excretion time, and creates difficulties in treatment.

For severe gastroenteritis or the elderly, infants (especially infants under 4 months old), malnourished people, those with chronic diseases or immunodeficiency, appropriate antibacterial drugs should be added. For extra-gastrointestinal infections and sepsis, typhoid fever, and local suppurative infections, antibacterial drugs should be used systemically.

In the past, chloramphenicol, cotrimoxazole, ampicillin or amoxicillin were generally used for Salmonella infection, and the fever usually subsided 4 to 6 days after taking the medicine. However, some patients may relapse, but the drug is still effective after re-administration. In recent years, the phenomenon of pathogen resistance has continued to increase, so it is best to refer to the drug sensitivity results to select appropriate antibiotics. At present, the third-generation fluoroquinolone antibiotics and third-generation cephalosporins, such as ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, lomefloxacin, and imipenem, are commonly used in clinical practice, and often have good therapeutic effects.