Hi

Gastroenteritis is diagnosed when loose stools, vomiting, fever etc are present.
By loose stools we mean increase in the frequency or fluidity of the stool.

You say his skin is yellow in color. What is the color of his eyes and is the urine yellow in color?
Does he have fever?
By sickness in the early illness.... what do you mean? Please elaborate.
One week of lethargy, pallor and lack of appetite along with your doubt of yellow skin, needs evaluation. Examination of all his systems is very important along with necessary investigations.
Wish a speedy recovery for your son.

Hi thanks for your question.
Your child is very lethargic, pale and loss of appetite for one week.
His skin is also yellow.
Your child is very sick and he needs a battery of test to know the cause of his paleness, lethargy, and yellow skin
To begin with get his following blood test done.
CBC (complete blood count)
LFT( liver function test)
It is better if you will get him examined by a pediatrician (child specialist), who will advice you further course of action.
Hope i answered you question.

Hi there.

Thanks for writing in.

Any history of similar complaints among other family members or your son's classmates ? Could it be from something he ate from outside?

I would suggest your son gets the following blood investigations done : Complete blood picture, and a Liver Function test. One possibility that comes to my mind is viral hepatitis; as his symptoms fit in with the diagnosis.

Most of the time, viral hepatitis(hep A) is self limiting in nature and the treatment is mainly supportive . Make sure he drinks plenty of fluids. Make sure he gets good rest.

Avoid spicy and oily food as these kinds of food further affect the digestion.

Preferably a bland diet (eg. Rice gruel with a pinch of salt) would be ideal.

Preferably eat only warm home cooked food.
Drink boiled and cooled or purified water.
Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before preparing meals, after using the bathroom etc.
Avoid eating food from street vendors who might be carriers of the virus.
Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly in water before eating.
Avoid eating raw or undercooked meat.

I feel your son should be ok in another 1 week's time.

Hope this helps

Regards,
Dr. Divya Kuttikrishnan