Differential Diagnosis for a One Year Old with a Stomach Bug
- Single most likely diagnosis:
- Viral Gastroenteritis: This is the most common cause of stomach bugs in children, often caused by rotavirus, norovirus, or adenovirus, leading to symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.
- Other Likely diagnoses:
- Bacterial Gastroenteritis: Caused by bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella, or Campylobacter, which can lead to similar symptoms as viral gastroenteritis but may require antibiotic treatment.
- Food Poisoning: Consuming contaminated food can lead to a stomach bug, with symptoms depending on the type of contaminant.
- Lactose Intolerance or Milk Protein Allergy: In some cases, a reaction to milk or lactose can cause gastrointestinal symptoms in infants.
- Do Not Miss diagnoses:
- Intussusception: A condition where a part of the intestine slides into another, which can cause severe abdominal pain, vomiting, and bloody stools. It's a medical emergency.
- Appendicitis: Although rare in one-year-olds, appendicitis can cause severe abdominal pain, vomiting, and fever, requiring immediate surgical intervention.
- Botulism: A rare but serious illness caused by a toxin that can lead to constipation, weakness, and poor feeding in infants, often associated with consuming honey or contaminated soil.
- Rare diagnoses:
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): Conditions like Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis are rare in infants but can cause chronic diarrhea, abdominal pain, and weight loss.
- Celiac Disease: An autoimmune reaction to gluten, which can cause diarrhea, abdominal pain, and failure to thrive in infants.
- Giardiasis: An intestinal infection caused by the Giardia parasite, which can lead to prolonged diarrhea and malabsorption.