Causal Factors of Acute Gastroenteritis in Infants and Young Children

• Main Authors: Šukrija Zvizdić, Elvedina Kapić, Sadeta Hamzić
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Association of Basic Medical Sciences of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina 2005-02-01
• Series: Bosnian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences
• Subjects: acute gastroenteritis; infants and young children; viruses; bacteria; parasites
• Online Access: http://www.bjbms.org/ojs/index.php/bjbms/article/view/3333

Respiratory, gastrointestinal and skin diseases represent the most common diseases in infants and young children. Causal factors of these diseases are important infectious agents and causes of pathological conditions in children, but they are also very important for their parents, as well as for people in their close environment. Greater incidence of infections in infants and young children can be explained in different ways. A cause can be insufficient maturity of their immune system, but also their exposure to infections within collective ac-comodations (cribs, nurseries, pre-school institutions), where they are, at the same time, exposed to a number of unknown agents. Today, a great emphasis is devoted to the ways and kinds of children’s nutrition. The problem of relation between infected young organism and infectious agent itself is also reflected in a long resistance and excretion of microorganisms in their exterior environment. It is well-known that microorganisms resist and excrete much longer in younger organisms, compared to adults, where their resistance and excretion is much shorter or very rare. Actually, adults have already formed protective immunity against particular infectious agents. It doesn’t prevent infections in adults, colonization of pathogènes, nor eventual development of disease. Established immunity can shorten the time necessary for excretion of microorganisms in their exterior environment and, if disease gets developed, it is of shorter duration and slower progress.