Giardia (giardiasis) In Children - Symptoms And Treatment

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

Giardia (giardiasis) in children

Giardiasis is a parasitic infection. Its causative agent is a parasite of the flagellate genus from the family of protozoa. Giardia infection is often found in children with a lowered immune status, starting from the age of a newborn, as well as in adults. The parasite carries out its vital activity mainly in the small intestine.

Giardia are not visible to the naked eye, so they have a size of 9-20 microns. They parasitize in the body in the form of cysts - an immobile form in a special shell, and in the form of a mobile form of a unicellular parasite. Giardia in children causes complications of the gastrointestinal tract, growth and development disorders.

Content:

• Ways of infection with lamblia children
• What are the symptoms of lamblia in children?
• Why are lamblia dangerous for the child's body?
• Diagnostics
• Treatment of lamblia in children
• Diet for lamblia in children
• How to treat giardiasis in children with folk remedies?
• Is there any immunity to lamblia?
• Prevention
• The doctor pays attention

Ways of infection with lamblia children

If a child has swallowed more than 10 cysts, it is safe to say that he is infected with lamblia. Parasites can be found in the soil and in the sand of playgrounds, in water from a dysfunctional source or reservoir. Giardia is found in breast milk, on the surface of unwashed vegetables and fruits.

Ways of infection with lamblia:

• Drinking unboiled water;
• Infection while swimming in a pond;
• Contact with clothing, things of the carrier of the invasion;
• Eating insufficiently washed foods that are not properly cooked.

What are the symptoms of lamblia in children?

Giardia in children has no specific symptoms inherent only in this disease. It is possible to diagnose "giardiasis" in a child by a complex of symptoms.

Disease manifestations:

• The normal process of digestion is disturbed, prolonged diarrhea appears, it is distinguished by a stench, sticks to the walls of the pot. It is imperative to differentiate giardiasis from intestinal dysbiosis.
• There is pain in the abdomen, the younger children cannot show the place of its localization, the older ones note that it hurts under the right rib and in the navel area.
• Nausea and vomiting occur periodically.
• The child loses weight, or adds it at a rate that is not typical of age norms;
• Body temperature is close to subfebrile values, most often it rises in the evenings, it can have such values for two weeks or longer, the child is experiencing chills.
• Red or pink rashes appear on the skin, itchy skin is noted.
• From time to time, the child has a paroxysmal suffocating cough, similar to a dry cough of an allergic nature.
• Children have enlarged lymph nodes, the size of the liver and spleen.
• The number of eosinophils in the blood exceeds the norm.

Video from the most reputable pediatrician about the dangers of lamblia in children and the features of the course of giardiasis. Are there effective methods for diagnosing lamblia? Is it worth the effort and time to fight these "monsters" of the protozoan family?

How to detect lamblia in babies? Infants react to Giardia infection with a temperature rise of up to + 38C. Periods of increased body temperature alternate with periods of normal well-being. Children have a change in appetite, they eat only selected foods, or refuse all offered dishes. Babies under the age of one year, infected with giardiasis, lag behind in physical and mental development, become capricious, and often cry. They develop symptoms of dysbiosis, severe diarrhea.

How to identify lamblia in a child over a year old? In addition to hyperthermia and diarrhea in lamblia, preschool children develop allergic reactions - skin rashes similar to allergic urticaria. If this is the only symptom, giardiasis will have to be differentiated from atopic dermatitis. Giardia in children over a year old have symptoms such as shortness of breath, a suffocating cough, similar to asthma manifestations.

The general condition of the child is inactivity, blue under the eyes, painful appearance.

Features of infection with lamblia in adolescents. Giardia in adolescent children manifest themselves as symptoms of autonomic dysfunction - "seasickness", nausea, dizziness, surges in blood pressure. Additional symptoms are vasomotor rhinitis, pain localized in the intestines, cramping in nature. Differentiation with appendicitis, gastroduodenitis, biliary dyskinesia is required.

Why are lamblia dangerous for the child's body?

Giardia in children in most cases occurs with a violation of the child's well-being. The complications of giardiasis are also dangerous - damage to the small and large intestines. The course of hepatitis and dysentery against the background of giardiasis aggravates the course of these diseases. Giardia, weakening the child's body, make it easily vulnerable to the penetration of other helminths and protozoa.

Possible consequences when parasites enter the liver and gallbladder are cholecystitis, cholagnitis, pancreatitis - pancreatitis, intestines - gastritis, duodenitis, appendicitis.

Diagnostics

Examination of a child with suspected giardia is carried out by a gastroenterologist or infectious disease specialist. In addition to collecting anamnesis and visual examination, the doctor prescribes laboratory diagnostics.

Methods for diagnosing lamblia in children:

• Immunological analysis of blood serum for the determination of Ig M antigen to lamblia. Antibodies to them appear 2-4 weeks after infection.
• Repeated examination of feces for cysts of the parasite is carried out 2 to 7 times with intervals within 7 days between the tests.
• General clinical analysis of blood - leukocytes and eosinophils are increased, in the presence of anemia, lymphocytosis.
• Duodenal intubation - the contents of the duodenum are examined for the presence of lamblia cysts. The research is conducted starting from the age of 10.

Treatment of lamblia in children

When treating lamblia in children, it is necessary to take into account the reduced immunity of the patient, concomitant pathologies, the likelihood of reinvasion, the appearance of resistant strains of lamblia. For drug therapy in children, the doctor must choose an effective drug with low toxicity for the child's body. In each case, an individual treatment regimen is selected.

Possible drug combinations:

• Metronidazole - taken with meals, starting from 2 years old, 0.4 g three times a day. The course of treatment is 5 days.
• Albendazole - taken once a day at 15 mg / kg of body weight. The course is 5 days.
• Furazolidone - taken after meals 4 times a day at 10 mg / kg body weight. The course is 7 days.
• Flamin + No-shpa, then Macmiror or Intetrix.

Flamin dosage - 1/2 tablet for 10 days, taken 3 times a day one hour before meals.

The dosage of McMirora is 15 mg / kg of body weight twice a day for 7-10 days, used in children after 2 years, taken after meals.

The dosage of Intetrix is 1/2 -1 capsule after meals for 10 days three times a day.

Recovery phase after treatment

At this stage, the functions of the digestive system are restored, the immune system is strengthened.

Recovery phase measures:

• Sparing diet.
• Herbal medicine (decoctions of herbs, birch buds, cranberries, lingonberries).
• Preparations for the restoration of immunity.
• Nonspecific protective agents (pumpkin seeds, purified sulfur preparations, propolis, zinc sulfate).
• Sorbents to restore intestinal microflora and cleanse it from the waste products of parasites (Smecta, Polysorb, Polypefan, activated carbon).

The subtleties of caring for sick children

In order to prevent the child from self-infection with lamblia and stop the spread, you must carefully follow the hygiene rules:

• The nails of the child and the caregiver should be kept clean and cut short.
• Children with giardiasis should have separate dishes, which should be washed with hot water after meals and treated with a disinfectant.
• After caring for a child (changing a diaper, underwear), you need to wash your hands with special care.

Diet for lamblia in children

1-2 weeks before the start of medication treatment, changes are made to the child's diet. The need to follow a diet is due to impaired digestion and cholestasis, high toxic activity of the parasite.

Fatty foods, fried foods, whole milk, carbohydrates in the form of sweets and refined foods are removed from the diet.

Children are offered porridge made from buckwheat, oatmeal, millet, baked fruits, salads and vegetable dishes seasoned with vegetable oil, cranberries and lingonberries.

The use of medicinal mineral water is recommended (Essentuki No. 4).

How to treat giardiasis in children with folk remedies?

Traditional medicine recipes for the treatment of lamblia in children cannot replace conservative therapy drugs, especially in the treatment of children. They are used as an adjunct to the main treatment after consulting a doctor.

Traditional medicine recipes for the treatment of lamblia in children:

• Infusion of fresh cucumbers. Pour the sliced cucumbers with boiling water, leave for 2 hours. The child drinks at least 500 ml of infusion throughout the day.
• Infusion of celandine. 1 tbsp. l. dry herbs are poured into a thermos 200 ml of boiling water, insisted for 2 hours. Strain the infusion, give 1 tbsp before meals. l. for 5 days. The course is repeated after 2 days.
• Aspen decoction. The bark, bud and leaves of this tree are boiled in water for half an hour. Children take 100 ml 2 times a day for 2 weeks.
• Bergamot oil is dripped 1 drop on sugar, given to children on an empty stomach for a week.
• Compress from white solid oil. Moisten a towel in hot water and keep it in the liver projection for 10-15 minutes. After 10-15 minutes, a compress of white solid oil is applied to this area of the skin on a sheet of paper covered with cling film. Withstand until morning. The course of treatment is 14 days.
• Dandelion root decoction. Boil the roots for 15 minutes, the strained broth is offered to children for 1 tsp. for 10 kg of weight. The remedy is given 2 times a day for 10 days.

Is there any immunity to lamblia?

Cellular and humoral immunity is formed after treatment of lamblia for a period of 2-6 months. During this time, a healthy child is protected from this type of invasion. Immunity disorders lead to the transition of the disease into a chronic form.

Recovery of the digestive system after treatment is slow. Pain and bloating may persist for some time. In some cases, such manifestations indicate incomplete treatment. Diagnostics 1-2 weeks after completion of treatment can re-identify parasites.

The doctor will determine whether this can be considered ineffectiveness of therapy, or the patient has re-invasion. In any case, a specialist will prescribe an effective treatment regimen and monitor its effectiveness.

Prevention

If a child is diagnosed with giardiasis, measures are taken to prevent the spread of the invasion in the group of children and among his family members. The sick child is isolated, members of his family and children's team, after the examination, undergo a course of drug prevention.

Primary prevention of giardiasis:

• Thorough washing of berries, fruits, herbs and vegetables with hot water before eating them;
• Teaching children hygiene skills: washing hands with soap after being soiled, before meals and snacks, prohibiting finger sucking and nail biting;
• Drinking water only after boiling or filtering;
• A ban on swimming in water bodies not equipped for this:
• Sanitary cleaning and sand change in sandboxes in playgrounds;
• Monitoring the health of pets, limiting their contact with small children.

The doctor pays attention

Features of the disease that must be taken into account:

• Symptoms of a Giardia infection are similar to those of intestinal infections or food poisoning. Only a doctor can differentiate them from giardiasis, so you need to contact him at the first signs of pathology.
• Diarrhea in children leads to severe dehydration. During the treatment of giardiasis, children should be offered a large amount of fluid to replenish it.
• Self-treatment can lead to increased drug resistance of lamblia. In this case, getting rid of them will be much more difficult. Therefore, the treatment of the disease is carried out under the guidance of a doctor, who will determine the required dose and duration of treatment.

With strict adherence to the recommendations for the prevention of giardiasis, it is quite possible to reduce the risk of its occurrence by half. For an accurate diagnosis when children develop skin rashes, dyspepsia and other disorders, you urgently need to consult a doctor and establish an accurate diagnosis. Early initiation of treatment is a guarantee of its effectiveness.

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.