Introduction: Rotavirus infections are a major public health problem, all over the world. They cause acute diarrhea in children under five years of age and are the leading cause of death. Symptoms of the disease can lead to severe dehydration, which is the most common cause for hospitalization among children. Rotaviruses are placed among the most common causes of intestinal infectious diseases and are transmitted in several possible ways. Nurses have an important role through treatment and nursing care for children with rotavirus infection. Purpose: To present rotavirus infection in babies and younger children. The goals are: to show the prevalence of rotavirus infection, to describe vaccination and vaccination coverage rates for children and to show how the child's disease affects his family. Methods: A descriptive method of work was used with a review of the scientific and professional literature, regarding rotavirus infection in children. We searched for the literature in databases CINAHL, NCBI, ScienceDirect, Google Učenjak, DiKUL, digital libraries in Slovenia and in the City Library of Ljubljana. Searching for the literature was conducted between August 2019 and April 2020. We defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. We used 47 units of literature in Slovene and English language to write the diploma thesis. Results: Research has shown that rotavirus infections are prevalent in european and non european countries. The research has found that the incidence of rotavirus infections is different from country to country, depending on the seasons. Vaccination is the most effective prevention against rotavirus infection. In Slovenia most children are vaccinated every year in Ljubljana. Research has shown, that rotavirus infection in children has a major impact on their families. It affects the daily activities of the family, the emotions of parents and children and causes additional costs. Discussion and conclusion: With a review of the literature we discovered that rotavirus infection is the most common disease among children under two years. The infection can occur in any season. Rotavirus infection in children affects their entire families and their activities. Vaccination for children against rotavirus infection is still considered the most effective preventive measure today. Because many people are not aware of preventive measures, it would be good to make people aware of rotavirus infection.
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