Most of us have experienced the joys of food poisoning. Sometimes, you’re not even done packing up the picnic and climbing back into the car before Aunt Mae’s potato salad demands an encore performance, with a vengeance. Most adults know when they’ve been had, and they know what is about to befall them will not be pleasant. So they lie down, stay near a bathroom, keep hydrated and expect the symptoms to pass within a day or so. Usually, they do.
But what about kids? Our little ones are much more susceptible than we are to contracting some strain of food-borne illness. The immune systems of small children are not yet fully established, and depend greatly on the individual child’s health and risk factors. Worse, many of our kids aren’t verbal yet, and can’t explain in any great detail what they feel.
Also, it can be hard to pinpoint exactly why little Bobby or Susie’s stomach feels sick, especially with children who spend much of the day away from home (at school, camp, a friend’s house, etc). However, with the following information, you can try to figure out what is causing the trouble for your child, and how serious it may be.
Note that I am not a medical professional and make no claims to be one. Always seek the immediate advice of a physician if your child displays any concerning symptoms or behavior. I write on this topic as a former food-service supervisor with a state prison, handling and overseeing the production of meals for up to 1,000 inmates a day. I was thoroughly trained in food-safety procedures, and educated on matters such as food-borne illness and pathogens.
There are two major types of food-borne illness; one is bacteria based, while the other comes in a delightful virus form.
Some common strains of viral illness can be transmitted through improper food handling, and later, via person-to-person contact, especially through unwashed hands. According to EMedicineHealth.com, the norovirus group is the most common among adults, often termed “stomach flue” or “stomach bug”. This illness is also seen often in children, and symptoms in both sets will include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and often, fever.
In pregnant women and children under five, the bacteria listeriosis can be a very serious illness. Often found on deli meats and other selections such as soft cheeses, listeria can cause quite serious complications in a pregnancy or the health of a young child. To protect your child before he or she is even born, avoid eating cold lunch meat without re-heating it thoroughly first, and opt for a dairy selection such as Sharp Cheddar over Brie.
According to this page on the American Pregnancy Association’s web site, pregnant women are at considerably bigger risk to contract listeria illness than other demographic groups. Symptoms of listeria often come on like the flu, and you may experience nausea, diarrhea, headaches and muscle aches. See a doctor right away if you are pregnant and think you may have listeria, as this disease, in serious cases, can cause severe effects or even death to you or your baby. There are antibiotic treatments available, but it is estimated that more than 20% of fetuses die in the uterus when their mother’s body is severely ill with this bacteria.
Outside the womb, there are many other bacterial illness that can be contracted through food you need to watch out for. E. Coli, a common but occasionally devastating bacteria sometimes found in raw beef, spread through improper hand washing (ie, fecal matter contamination) and often further spread through cross-contamination of work surfaces or utensils to things such as vegetables and salads, items that are not cooked before serving.
Symptoms of E. Coli in children may take several days to manifest, and unfortunately, this is a ‘bug’ that can be passed on from person-to-person. By the time you realize your child is sick, he may have already infected half his class at school. This delayed onset can also make it difficult to pinpoint what made your child sick, as people tend to blame whatever was most recently ingested, or perhaps food from the evening before. People don’t usually stop and consider what they or their children ate last Tuesday if they are sick on a Saturday.
E. Coli poisoning in children will often manifest with loose, watery stool and, just to make things more exciting, this can also turn bloody. Fever may accompany intense stomach pain and nausea, and the body losses energy and fluids through the ruthless purging the system is forcing to try and expel the toxin. If your child has any of these symptoms, get him or her to a doctor right away. If your child has a less severe bout, push fluids and encourage rest. If your child truly has E. Coli, they are contagious, so wear a mask when tending them for the first few days and wash your hands thoroughly after coming in contact with anything they have touched.
Salmonella, a bacteria far more ugly than the name suggests, is actually a combination of bacteria that can wreak havoc on a person’s digestive system. Particularly concerning in those with compromised or under-developed immune systems, this illness can be contracted form eating raw or spoiled seafood, poultry, eggs and dairy. Symptoms of food poisoning from Salmonella in children may be more severe than in an adult exposed to the same bacteria, and may include diarrhea, cramping and headaches. High fevers are not usually associated with Salmonella, except in rare, serious cases of what is termed Typhoid Fever. This is thankfully a very rare form of illness triggered by the Salmonella bacteria, as it is often fatal.
In almost all cases, a child with food poisoning will experience stomach pain, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. In many cases, the poor kid will experience all of those, and more, including fever, headache and severe muscle cramping and aches. If you feel your child is ill from food poisoning, and you think it is more serious than what you can treat at home with fluids, rest and time, you should seek medical attention right away. Some forms of food poisoning in children can result in brain damage or Meningitis, and these types of infections need to be evaluated and treated with antibiotics by trained professionals.
To help prevent food-borne illness, follow proper food safety procedures. Perform hand-washing with warm water and soap for at least 30 seconds, always store raw items below and away from prepared foods, never cross-contaminate raw and cooked food utensils, and check your food temperatures. Always refrigerate foods not used within two-four hours of preparation, keeping in mind that bacteria can multiply in minutes. Reheat foods thoroughly, and when in doubt, throw it out!
For more information on food poisoning in children and adults, visit this site.
