Lambliosis in children

Giardiasis in children is a disease caused by parasites, protozoa - Giardia. These parasitic organisms manifest their activity in the small intestine. The disease "giardiasis" was first described by D.F. Lambl in 1859, after whom it was named.

Parasites enter the body through the mouth and begin to progress their activity in the small intestine. The main risk group is children, since in the heat of their exploration of the world they do it through the mouth. Accordingly, the threat of parasites entering the body with a weak immune system is increased.

Lamblia carry out their harmful activity in two ways:

• Cysts. This type of lamblia parasite occurs when the microorganism enters the intestines but does not find favorable conditions for its further parasitism. In this case, lamblia transform into cysts (oval, immobilized, about a millimeter in size). Then, the cysts are excreted from the body with feces and remain immobilized until they enter the small intestine again (vitality remains for forty days).
• Vegetative. A mobile species, securely attached to the intestinal wall, and begins its parasitic activity. They have the shape of a pear with a long tail, 1 disk and 4 pairs of bundles, with the help of which the attachment to the intestinal wall is carried out.

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Giardiasis of the intestine in children

Parasites enter the human body through the mouth. The main enemy in this matter is dirty water, which is the main source of transmission of lamblia. Bacteria - parasites penetrate the small intestine and begin to multiply. The processes of reproduction occur very quickly - lamblia division occurs every twelve hours. At the same time, every ten days, cysts are released along with feces.

The process of infection of the intestine with giardiasis in children can stop on its own, after six weeks, provided that the intestinal mucosa is healthy and the immune system is strong. Otherwise, the child may not suspect his infection for many years.

Symptoms of Giardiasis in Children

As the disease progresses, the integrity of the gastrointestinal tract is disrupted and other unpleasant symptoms of giardiasis in children occur. The first symptoms may appear after a couple of weeks of infection with parasites - when the parasites have managed to multiply in sufficient quantities to disrupt the functioning of the intestines. The bacteria attack the small intestine, where the processes of digestion and absorption of food occur. Accordingly, depletion of the body is possible. In rare cases, giardia can settle in the bile ducts and cause damage to the liver.

There is a special list of symptoms by which you can identify the occurrence of giardiasis in a child. So, the symptoms of giardiasis in children can manifest themselves in the following reactions:

• Diarrhea that does not occur often, but is prolonged in terms of discharge. The stool has a sharp, unpleasant odor, and the feces stick to the walls of the toilet (this fact indicates undigested fats).
• High temperature, unexplained weakness and chills in a child should also cause concern.
• Monitor your pain – giardiasis causes sharp pain in the navel area (small intestine area).
• Vomiting occurs, accompanied by prolonged nausea.
• An itchy rash appears and sudden weight loss occurs.

Giardiasis in infants

Recently, manifestations of lamblia actions in infants have been recorded. Since parasites enter the body of children only through the mouth, in this case the responsibility is shifted only to the parents. It is necessary to carefully monitor the quality of food that the child will eat. Dishes that are washed with unboiled water may well carry a hidden threat with lamblia cysts.

If you notice that your infant has severe diarrhea, a high temperature occasionally occurs, and physical development has slowed down, it is quite possible that lamblia has entered the body. In this case, lambliasis in infants is very dangerous, and it is necessary to contact a pediatrician as soon as possible.

Cough with giardiasis in children

The manifestation of cough, shortness of breath can be one of the symptoms of the disease lamblia. The active activity of parasites in the small intestine leads to the fact that an allergy to them appears. And the body begins to show various protective mechanisms. One of them is a cough with lambliasis in children.

The symptoms are similar to shortness of breath or even asthma attacks. But, you should monitor – are there any reasons to believe that the child has a cold, or cough or asthma. If coughing fits are accompanied by one or more symptoms of giardiasis – it is recommended to consult a doctor for an accurate diagnosis.

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Giardiasis rash in children

In children over one year of age, one of the symptoms of the presence of giardia in the body may be a rash, redness or itching. Intestinal parasites that have settled in the gastrointestinal tract can lead to skin allergies through their activity. Externally, such a rash may resemble hives. There may be cases when other symptoms of giardiasis are very weakly expressed and the skin rash is taken for atopic dermatitis.

If treatment of dermatitis is unsuccessful, you may suspect the presence of intestinal parasites.

Consequences of giardiasis in children

The appearance of lamblia parasites has only a negative effect on the child's body. Since the process of releasing lamblia from cysts and their subsequent reproduction requires a constant flow of nutrients, bacteria find them in the blood. As a result, the baby's body is deprived of minerals, vitamins and other complex of nutrients necessary for full life. And the consequence of lambliasis in children in this case is avitaminosis.

The next negative factor is the release of toxic processed substances into the body. These processes occur as a result of the vital activity of lamblia. The released substances, when entering the blood, suppress the full functioning of the immune system. This causes various allergic reactions to various irritants.

And the most important thing is that giardiasis, with the help of its symptoms, has the ability to disguise itself as various other diseases, which can negatively affect the body. So a child can undergo treatment for other diseases for a long time, triggering the main one - giardiasis.

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Diagnosis of giardiasis in children

Diagnosis of giardiasis in children is always based on the results of a study of feces and what is contained in the duodenum.

The study of solid stool is carried out within 24 hours - since giardia cysts remain viable for up to ten days. If you are analyzing liquid feces, you must deliver it to the laboratory no later than 15 minutes after defecation. Such urgency is necessary because the vegetative form of giardia dies within half an hour.

The analysis must be carried out every day for three days and with a specific focus on finding cysts.

If the child has very hard stool, it is necessary to give a small dose of laxative and collect stool for examination.

Microscopy of stool contents is performed immediately after collection of the material, while the feces are still warm. The procedure is performed using formalin-ether precipitation.

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Tests for giardiasis in children

To accurately determine whether lamblia is present in a child’s body, it is necessary to conduct a blood and stool test.

Full confirmation of the disease comes after detection of both cysts and mobile lamblia in the feces. The accuracy of a single analysis is a maximum of 70%. For final confirmation, it is necessary to conduct tests for lambliasis in children within three days.

When donating blood, antibodies are sought to detect giardiasis, which can form a couple of weeks after infection. Thus, antibodies are sought that fight giardiasis in the body. However, neither the presence nor the absence of antibodies against giardia can serve as a full indicator of the disease of the body.

To carry out the necessary analysis, a small amount of blood is taken from a vein.

Thus, only a comprehensive analysis can prove or disprove the disease.

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Treatment of giardiasis in children

When diagnosing giardiasis, the first and most important rule is to maintain a sufficient level of fluid in the body. Profuse and frequent diarrhea is a common occurrence with giardiasis, which provokes dehydration. Therefore, in addition to drug treatment, it is necessary to ensure that the child drinks enough fluid.

Treatment of giardiasis in children is a complex procedure. It includes both diet and medications for treatment.

During the diet, it is necessary to limit fatty and fried foods, and also stop giving milk. In the first few days, bananas, rice and crackers are recommended.

The second part of the treatment is medicinal, includes special antibiotics and antiparasitic drugs. They directly destroy the lamblia bacteria and harmful traces of activity.

Treatment regimen for giardiasis in children

For a complete recovery, the following treatment regimen for giardiasis in children is used, which is divided into three phases.

In the first phase, it is necessary to eliminate lamblia mechanically (medicinally) and increase the level of the body's defenses. It continues for a month, depending on the degree of neglect of the disease. A special diet, choleretic drugs are used and the body is cleansed of harmful bacteria.

In the second phase, antiparasitic treatment is carried out in two courses. It lasts up to seven days. Also, during the therapy, it is necessary to monitor daily stool.

In phase number three, immunity is increased and conditions are created so that lamblia can no longer multiply in the intestines.

Treatment of giardiasis in children with Nemozol

The drug Nemozol is one of those that has a spectrum of antihelminthic action - it kills not only adult individuals, but also the larvae of parasites. This factor is very relevant when destroying lamblia cysts. However, you should be warned against taking the drug if there are problems with the functioning of the liver, diseases of the retina, or intolerance to one of the components of the drug.

Take the medicine only during meals, at a rate of 10 mg per 1 kg of weight.

When treating giardiasis in children with Nemozol, liver dysfunction, nausea, and abdominal pain are possible. Body temperature and blood pressure may increase.

When taking this drug, children may not tolerate the treatment well. Nemozol is prescribed to children with giardiasis only in chronic forms, when a powerful and strong medicine is needed to destroy parasites.

But, the child may experience nausea, vomiting, general weakness, and increased irritability. These side effects negatively affect the general condition of the child, so it is necessary to consult with a pediatrician - how necessary is the intake of this particular drug.

Treatment of giardiasis with macmiror in children

Macmiror is a derivative of 5-nitrofuran - a drug that is widely used to treat giardiasis. It meets all the necessary requirements for efficiency and safety. One of the advantages of using Macmiror is the minimum number of side effects. The drug contains a wide range of antimicrobial action. When treating giardiasis with Macmiror in children, the drug is quickly absorbed and reaches its maximum concentration in the blood after two hours, then excreted and cleared by the kidneys.

The drug works as follows: it blocks enzyme chains, then inhibits protein synthesis in ribosomes. These actions prevent the emergence of microorganism strains and counteract the development of cross-action of antibiotics.

Treatment for giardiasis is prescribed at a rate of 15 mg of the drug per kilogram of body weight twice a day for a week.

Nutrition for giardiasis in children

After the end of drug treatment, for the fastest recovery of the small intestine, which was weakened by the action of bacteria, it is necessary to choose the right diet. Bacteria that cause this disease live in a sweet environment and do not tolerate an acidic one. Accordingly, nutrition for giardiasis for children should continue to maintain an acidic environment. When making up a further, therapeutic diet, you will have to give up sweets, flour and fatty foods for some time. By excluding products that fall into these categories, you will not only contribute to the child's recovery, but also lay the foundations for a healthy diet. Whole milk should also be excluded. If the child likes milk, it can be replaced with soy or low-lactose mixtures. Replace sweet tea with cranberry and lingonberry fruit drinks. To improve immunity, use cereal porridge, fruit and vegetable purees, fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet. Fermented milk products will not be superfluous.

Diet for giardiasis in children

For successful treatment of giardiasis, the most important component is a special diet.

Its purpose is to create an unfavorable environment for the reproduction of bacteria. It is known that lamblia begin to die in an acidic environment, while a sweet environment provides bacteria with positive living conditions. So, we need to create an acidic environment. Products that should be excluded from the child's diet: milk (can be replaced with soy), gluten-containing products, drinks and products containing sugar, limit carbohydrates and fatty foods. Instead, the following products should be introduced: dried fruits, vegetables, bran, baked apples, pears, cereals (rice, buckwheat, corn), vegetable oil. Sour drinks are also recommended, for example, lingonberry and cranberry fruit drinks, kefir. A diet for giardiasis for children will speed up the recovery process of your child, provided that it is strictly followed.

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Prevention of giardiasis in children

The system of preventive measures consists directly in identifying a sick child in time and separating him from the rest of the group (if the child attends kindergarten), since it is possible to transmit parasites through dishes and toys.

It is also necessary to teach children the necessary rules of hygiene (wash their hands after using the toilet and before eating), control the quality of food products and check the water they will drink.

In schools and children's institutions, it is necessary to conduct examinations of the workforce and children for giardia twice a year.

And most importantly, if a child in your family is infected with giardia, disease prevention consists of all family members undergoing examination and undergoing treatment directly together with the infected child.