Myocarditis in children
Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle. In children, it develops mainly due to infectious diseases, allergic reactions, poisoning with toxins and congenital.
Congenital myocarditis from the first days of life is manifested by such symptoms as pallor of the skin, weakness, shortness of breath. Sick children get tired quickly when breastfeeding, body weight is often low, weight increases very slowly. The borders of the heart are expanded, tachycardia appears, heart sounds are deaf.
Acquired myocarditis is the result of previous infections, including influenza and SARS. In addition to shortness of breath and weakness, children have nausea, vomiting, cyanosis. Sick children sleep very restlessly, their appetite worsens, and fainting may occur.
Myocarditis is a fairly common disease in children. It occurs in most cases in boys. Infectious myocarditis occurs most often in children four to five years old and adolescents.
The causes of the disease in children are varied: it can be a viral or fungal infection, bacteria, toxins, or even the simplest organisms. Also, the baby can become infected in the womb.
Content:
- Symptoms of myocarditis in children
- Treatment of myocarditis in children
- Prevention of myocarditis in children. Tips for parents
- Diet for children with myocarditis
Symptoms of myocarditis in children
Intrauterine myocarditis is usually found in the first months of life due to the onset of progressive heart failure. The child is lethargic, his liver is enlarged, muscle weakness, swelling, shortness of breath, cyanosis and tachycardia, and physical retardation are observed. Medical examination for myocarditis shows the expansion of the boundaries of the heart, an increase in its size. ECG examination reflects atrioventricular block; according to the results of echocardiography, the cavity of the left ventricle and left atrium are dilated.
Myocarditis can manifest itself in three forms: acute, subacute and chronic.
Sometimes in children, myocarditis can occur with hidden cardiac symptoms or asymptomatic.
Treatment of myocarditis in children
Acute myocarditis in children is treated in a stationary mode. Patients are shown strict bed rest and rest. With this disease, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (voltaren, indomethacin), glucocorticoid hormones are prescribed. In severe cases, oxygen therapy is used. Heart failure, conduction disturbances and arrhythmias are also subject to treatment. For this, patients are prescribed means to improve metabolism in the myocardium and vitamins.
In infants, the prognosis of myocarditis is often poor, but with adequate intensive treatment, recovery is possible. Preschool children and schoolchildren better tolerate myocarditis, for them the disease is benign.
With chronic myocarditis, relapses are possible in 30-50% of cases, leading to the development of chronic heart failure. In such cases, therapy has a complex character, inpatient (6–8 weeks) and spa treatment are recommended.
After recovery, the child is subject to dispensary observation: he must be examined every 3-6 months for five years.
Among the complications of myocarditis are cardiosclerosis, pericarditis, myocardial hypertrophy, and so on.
Prevention of myocarditis in children. Tips for parents
As mentioned above, a baby's heart can suffer from various infectious diseases, including flu and colds. To avoid the development of myocarditis, after recovery, parents should closely monitor the child's condition.
First of all, you need to pay attention to how the baby tolerates physical activity, whether he often rests, whether he has shortness of breath after outdoor games. Lethargy, fatigue, whims and impaired appetite are the reason to immediately contact a pediatric cardiologist.
Even if there are no worrisome symptoms of myocarditis, try to limit your child's physical activity after the flu. The child should eat, walk and sleep at the same time. The diet includes foods that strengthen the heart muscle.
It is also necessary to measure the pulse of the child in a calm state. Remember: the norm for babies is 150-160 beats per minute; for one-year-old children - 120 strokes; for 5-year-olds - 100.
The flu shot is also one of the preventive measures: this way you can protect your child from infection and, accordingly, from infectious myocarditis.
Diet for children with myocarditis
Children with myocarditis need special nutrition. In milder forms of the disease, the consumption of carbohydrates should be limited: white bread, baked goods, chocolate are excluded from the diet; limit pasta, pancakes and pancakes. It is also worth giving up rich broths and soups, fatty meats, smoked, spicy and salty foods.
Fruits and berries, without a doubt, are good for health, but with myocarditis, the child should not be given plums, quince, grapes, hard apples and pears.
What do doctors recommend for childhood myocarditis?
Baked goods should be replaced with baked goods and pancakes without yeast. It is useful to give your baby lean chicken, beef and liver. From fish you can eat pike, hake, pike perch, cod, pollock. Eggs should be eaten carefully, no more than three pieces a week (preferably in the form of an omelet).
Milk and dairy products (cottage cheese, kefir, yoghurts, sour cream) can be safely given to a sick child. Recommended vegetables include potatoes, beets, carrots, cauliflower, tomatoes and cucumbers, lettuce, parsley. The child can eat any cereals, soft fruits and dried fruits; from sweets - honey, marmalade, marshmallow and jam.
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.
