Gastro enteritis (sp?) in 22 month old... tips please :)

[MrsBigD]

DS is not having a good run, first he had a bad fall on Sunday with hole in forehead, scraped chin and leg and then he started having a temperature, diarrhoea (sp?) and screaming fits at night.

Took him to doc today as concerned about concussion but in that respect he's fine as he's quite alert and up to mischief .

However the doc diagnosed him with gastro enteritis but when I asked her what to do about it all she said was 'make sure he drinks enough'... doesn't 'itis' mean it's an inflamation of some sort?

Any of you lovely mn'ers have any recommendations how to 'treat' this?

We've already put him on bland food and skimmed milk and some fennel tea for the bloating, but any other tips would be highly appreciated as we haven't slept in 3 days!

His tummy seems much worse at night and it gurgles something chronic, wind galore and he burps a lot too which of course is very unpleasant for ds. Poor mite probably is as frustrated as we are.

Thanks in advance from a seriously sleep deprived mother

ya can tell I haven't slept... I meant to type cheek and out came chin!

it may well ba an GE inflammation but most likely a viral cause rather than bacterial so you treat the symptoms with clear fluids and small amounts of bland food (BRAT -Banana, rice, apple, toast) if he feels like it. It may help to eliminate dairy for 24 hours. If you can get hold of probiotics (in powder form for little ones I think) that will help restore the balance in the gut which is currently being washed through , therefore not digesting whatever he eats and drinks, and it could curtail the diarrhoea(sp?).

I've got ABCD at home in the fridge, will give him some of that. The doc mentioned the milk thing but also mentioned if it's not done on the first day of onset it doesn't make much difference... saying that ds has gone off normal milk anyway and is on skimmed

your poor ds - my dd has this at the minute and hasn't eaten anything for 2 days now - today has had few bites of toast and part of an ice lolly so hopefully getting better. Have him have small sips of a rehydrating fluid as well instead of plain water - will replace some of the electrolytes he's loosing

must be worse when they are younger, mine is nearly 5 and it's hard work with her - hope he's feeling better soon

thanks Hana, problem is if I offer him the rehydrating stuff he knocks the spoon/bottle out of my hand and if I 'inject' he spits it out He likes tea (chamomilla and fennel) so at least that way he gets fluids. He's licked the butter of my toast this morning so that's fats and salt LOL not ideal I know but I'm thankful for anything!

Lots of boiled cooled water will help flush the little germs out.

you can buy a power and mix it with water and let him have small sips through the day - it tastes like blackcurrent but is clear
(but dd hates it!)
she has just thrown up her toast from about an hour ago poor thing