Intestinal Dysbiosis In Children - Causes, Symptoms, Feces Analysis And Treatment

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-07 17:49

Intestinal dysbiosis in children

Intestinal dysbiosis in children is a change in its normal microflora to opportunistic. Violations occur both qualitatively and quantitatively. In children, the symptoms of dysbiosis differ significantly from the symptoms of similar disorders in adults. This is especially true for children of early and young age.

The problem of intestinal dysbiosis in pediatrics is quite acute. Modern studies indicate that, to varying degrees of severity, violations of the normal biocenosis of the intestine are present in 25-50% of healthy breastfed children. In the event that the child has any concomitant disease - somatic or infectious, then intestinal dysbiosis is 100% likely. The severity of the pathology is determined in each case individually.

The child, leaving the birth canal from the sterile conditions in which he was 9 months old, enters an environment filled with various bacteria. Microbial colonization of the newborn's body occurs almost instantly. He receives most of the bacteria from the woman in labor during the passage through the birth canal and during breastfeeding. The milk that the mother gives to the child and her colostrum contain immune factors that interfere with the pathogenic flora that tries to colonize the intestines of the newborn. That is why doctors give such importance to natural feeding of children. The sooner the baby is attached to the breast, the better his protection against dysbiosis in the future will be. The optimal time in this regard is the first half hour after birth.

The first five days of a baby's life are the time when the intestines are colonized not only by beneficial bacteria, but also by opportunistic ones. Therefore, all newborns in the first 7 days of life develop the so-called transient dysbiosis. It is manifested by regurgitation, pain of a spastic nature and loose stools in which impurities of mucus are found. Normally, this type of dysbiosis goes away on its own after another week. If there are any aggravating factors, then the formation of a normal flora with a predominance of lacto and bifidobacteria does not occur. As a result, the child develops true dysbiosis.

Content:

• Symptoms of dysbiosis in children
• Causes of dysbiosis in children
• Analysis of feces for dysbiosis in children
• Treatment of dysbiosis in children

Symptoms of dysbiosis in children

The symptoms of dysbiosis in children will vary depending on the age of the child.

So, for newborns and infants, the following signs of a violation of the intestinal microflora are more characteristic:

• Frequent regurgitation;
• Vomiting;
• Flatulence;
• Rumbling and overflowing in the abdomen;
• Spasms in the intestines;
• Underweight, slow weight gain;
• Restless behavior;
• Sleep disturbances;
• Stool disorders with mucus impurities, with the formation of lumps;
• Abnormalities in the color of the stool, its lightening, or acquiring a greenish tint by the stool
• Putrid, sour odor from stool;
• Feces not formalized, liquid, most often copious with foam;
• Malabsorption syndrome against the background of which infants develop diarrhea, polyhypovitaminosis, steatorrhea, and hypotrophy. Especially acute in childhood there is a deficiency of B vitamins, calcium, protein-energy deficiency;
• Intoxication in infancy leads to serious consequences: the child begins to lag behind in physical development, his appetite disappears, and polydeficiency anemia develops;
• Atopic dermatitis, urticaria, angioedema, bronchospasm - all these manifestations of allergies can be the result of pathological processes occurring in the intestines of the child.

As the child grows up, the symptoms of dysbiosis change.

So, signs indicating disorders in the intestinal microflora in children after a year are:

• Alternating diarrhea and constipation, with possible predominance of diarrhea or stool retention;
• Intestinal colic;
• Bad breath from a child;
• Belching;
• Skin rash;
• Feeling of fullness in the abdomen after eating;
• Against the background of hypovitaminosis, metabolism is disturbed;
• A decrease in immune forces may be indicated by seizures and cracks in the corners of the mouth;
• Acne, recurrent stomatitis and furunculosis may appear;
• Hair and nails become brittle, etc.

Separately, it is worth dwelling on the symptoms of dysbiosis in children, depending on the type of bacteria that caused such violations:

• If the fungal microflora predominates in the child's intestines, then the feces are predominantly foamy, with films on the surface. May take the form of lumps. Often against the background of such dysbiosis, a child develops cheilitis, glossitis, thrush, lesions of smooth skin, balanoposthitis, visceral candidiasis, vulvitis. Exacerbations of bronchial asthma and atopic dermatitis often occur.
• If staphylococcal flora predominates in the intestine, then dysbiosis is difficult, often of the type of generalized sepsis. It is Staphylococcus aureus that has recently increasingly affected the intestines of children under the age of one year. Even a mild course of the disease is characterized by a rise in body temperature, nausea and vomiting, the presence of impurities of cut in the feces.
• If a child has Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Escherichiosis dysbiosis, then the pathology is often erased, without pronounced symptoms. Parents should be alerted to stools with mucus, dyspeptic disorders, complaints of the child about dull pain in the sigmoid colon.
• When proteus predominates in the intestine, then the child will experience dyspeptic disorders, and subfebrile body temperature can be maintained for a long time.

Causes of dysbiosis in children

The causes of dysbiosis in children can be very different, among them:

• Complications during pregnancy and during labor.
• Late attachment to the breast.
• Prematurity of the child.
• Bacterial vaginosis in a woman in labor.
• Insufficient nutrition of the mother while breastfeeding.
• Mastitis in a woman.
• Early separation from the breast, transfer to artificial feeding.
• Viral infections in a child are frequent.
• The presence of diathesis.
• In preschool and school age, a child can develop dysbiosis with poor nutrition. Especially dangerous in this regard is the predominance of carbohydrate foods, as well as the priority of animal products.
• Environmental pollution is considered a negative factor.
• It may affect the intake of antibacterial drugs, treatment with hormonal drugs.
• Perhaps the development of dysbiosis against the background of emotional instability, with frequent stress, against the background of neuroses and other psychological disorders.
• Dysbacteriosis in childhood can develop against the background of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, which is a rather urgent problem in pediatrics. It can be: gastritis, stomach ulcer, enterocolitis, lactase deficiency, pancreatitis, constipation, etc.
• Infection with parasites is also a predisposing factor for the development of dysbiosis. Dangerous giardiasis, ascariasis.
• It is worthwhile to timely eliminate all foci of chronic infection, for example, tonsillitis and caries.
• At an older age in children, diabetes mellitus, oncological diseases and other pathologies characteristic of the adult population may pose a threat.

What is dysbiosis and why does it occur?

Analysis of feces for dysbiosis in children

Dysbiosis can be diagnosed only after visiting a pediatrician and pediatric gastroenterologist. Doctors prescribe laboratory tests and, if necessary, additional instrumental studies. The condition of the child's skin and mucous membranes is assessed, and the abdomen is palpated.

A mandatory study is the analysis of feces for dysbiosis in children. Confirms the presumptive diagnosis of a decrease in the number of lacto (less than 10 in the 7th degree) and bifidobacteria (less than 10 in the 9th degree), while gram-negative bacilli are found in the feces, the number of coccal and fungi increases (more than 10 in the 3rd degree), as well as clostridia (more than 10 to the 5th degree). Normally, hemolytic streptococci should be completely absent. Other opportunistic enterobacteriaceae should not exceed 10 to 4 degrees.

To find out the cause of dysbiosis in children, it may be necessary to conduct an ultrasound scan, gastroscopy, analysis for lamblia, helminth eggs and other studies.

When is an analysis for dysbiosis needed?

What to do if dangerous microbes are found in the analysis for dysbiosis?

Treatment of dysbiosis in children

The treatment of dysbiosis in children always begins with the selection of the optimal diet for the little patient. If the infant is on mixed and artificial feeding, then the introduction of fermented milk products into the diet is shown to him.

At an older age, it is necessary to remove sugar, animal proteins, simple carbohydrates from the menu. The child should receive lactic acid products that help restore the imbalanced microflora balance. Dietary fiber must necessarily enter the intestines along with food.

In childhood, probiotics are prescribed. These preparations contain in their composition either one or several varieties of bacteria that are useful for the intestines. Modern probiotic preparations are: Bifidumbacterin, Linex, Bifikol, Bactisubtil. There are also probiotic preparations that promote the natural growth of their own beneficial bacteria in the intestines, creating optimal conditions for them. These means include Hilak-forte, Duphalac. Combined drugs are symbiotics - these are Maltidophilus, Bifidobac.

In order to selectively cleanse the child's intestines of pathogenic flora, he is prescribed bacteriophages that lyse harmful bacteria. In this case, no harm is done to beneficial microorganisms. If treatment with bacteriophages does not give an effect, the patient can be recommended a course of antibacterial drugs from the group of cephalosporins or macrolides.

When a high concentration of fungal microorganisms is found in the results of stool analysis, then antimycotics are indicated. It can be Nystatin, Fluconazole.

Sorbent preparations (Enterosgel, Activated carbon, etc.) are prescribed if there are signs of intoxication of the body. If there are digestive disorders, then enzymatic agents are selected individually.

It is possible to take vitamins, adaptogenic therapy with immunomodulators for frequent infections.

How to treat dysbiosis?

The author of the article: Sokolova Praskovya Fedorovna | Pediatrician

Education: Diploma in the specialty "General Medicine" received at the Volgograd State Medical University. A specialist certificate was immediately received in 2014.