Symptoms and causes

Symptoms of allergies are often rashes, hives, runny nose, red itchy eyes, low blood pressure, difficulty breathing, vomiting, diarrhea... Many people still think that diarrhea is caused by cold food, but in fact it is caused by toxins in seafood.

All types of bacteria: shrimp, crab, snail, fish... can be infected with bacteria. Many people think that salty seawater will limit the growth of bacteria. But in fact, there are types of halophilic bacteria that can live in seawater. Notably, Vibrio parahaemolyticus bacteria is one of the causes of food poisoning in coastal areas. This bacteria causes two types of clinical syndromes: mild cholera-like diarrhea and bloody diarrhea accompanied by abdominal pain and mild fever. Seafood can contain toxins from algae that are dangerous to people who eat them. Phycotoxins reproduce in coastal coral reefs, which are home to mollusks such as clams, mussels, crabs, shrimp... These algae toxins are not harmful to marine life, but they will poison people if eaten. Phycotoxins are not broken down when cooked, and can cause diarrhea, abdominal pain, headaches, muscle paralysis, memory loss...

Seafood can also be contaminated with heavy metals such as arsenic and mercury due to environmental pollution. Toxic substances often settle in the mud layer, so bottom-dwelling species such as clams, mussels, snails, and mussels are very susceptible to poisoning. Large fish are also more severely poisoned due to the accumulation of food. Therefore, scientists recommend not eating large fish such as sharks, swordfish, large mackerel, and whales because the mercury content accumulated in them is quite large.

Hot and humid weather is a favorable environment for viruses and bacteria to thrive, especially foods high in oil and protein such as seafood. If spoiled or not properly processed, the risk of poisoning is very high.

If the above factors are excluded, if fresh seafood is not cooked thoroughly, or only partially cooked, it is also a cause of poisoning.

Another point that needs special attention is that many children are not compatible with certain types of seafood (shrimp, crab, squid, snails, etc.), so eating foods derived from those species can also cause poisoning and allergies.

When eating meat, fish, and seafood containing high levels of urea residue, the eater may suffer acute poisoning with symptoms of severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and repeated diarrhea... which is very dangerous. If eaten regularly, a little today, a little tomorrow, in the long run, the eater will suffer chronic poisoning, with signs of prolonged insomnia, headaches, body aches, memory loss, etc.

How to prevent?

To prevent seafood poisoning in young children, mothers need to note the following:

• Seafood must be fresh, avoid buying seafood from heavily polluted areas.
  
  
• Never eat dead seafood because it can release toxins.
  
  
• For fish, it must be done while the fish is still fresh and all the intestines must be removed because there are many bacteria in the fish intestines that can quickly penetrate the fish meat and cause poisoning.
  
  
• Avoid buying seafood with unusual colors, because species living in polluted areas often have colors that are different from normal.
  
  
• When processing, it must be cooked thoroughly. Frozen seafood must be thawed before processing to avoid the situation of not being cooked thoroughly inside due to not being completely thawed.
  
  
• After cooking, feed the child immediately. If you wait 2 hours to feed, reboil.
  
  
• Children with allergies to seafood should be fed little by little. If there are signs of an allergic reaction, they must stop immediately.
  
  

MSc. Dr. LE THI HAI - Suckhoedoisong.vn