All parents without exception know how difficult it israise a baby. At every step, the baby may encounter such a phenomenon as childhood infectious diseases, which are very widespread. Experienced parents who are raising more than one child know well what to do in a given situation. For example, if their child has chickenpox, treatment will not be difficult for them. But new mothers and fathers, faced with the slightest malaise, not to mention childhood viral diseases, are very, very scared, often losing the ability to reason sensibly. The information in this article is intended specifically for young parents. Below is a detailed description of the main childhood diseases that most children encounter during their growth. As a rule, most childhood infectious diseases begin in a very acute form, with a significant increase in body temperature. In addition, all childhood infectious diseases are extremely contagious - they are very easily transmitted from one child to another. That is why, as a rule, in a particular locality, isolated cases of childhood diseases are extremely rare - most often they are epidemic in nature. The most widespread childhood skin diseases today are the following and others:

• Chicken pox or, in common parlance, chickenpox
• Rubella
• Measles
• Parotite
• Pertussis and others

The epidemic of these diseases is quite commonis found in preschool institutions. As a rule, when a child with a childhood infectious disease is detected in a kindergarten, the health workers of the kindergarten and the clinic to which the kindergarten belongs act as follows: the sick children are isolated either at home or, which happens less often, in a hospital, depending on the child's health. And the children who were in contact with them are quarantined and doctors monitor their condition. Although, frankly speaking, all these methods are usually very ineffective - after all, during the incubation period, the child looks completely healthy, but successfully tolerates the infection. And therefore, if one child in the group is sick, then all the other children are sick too. However, parents should not be afraid and, especially, refuse to attend kindergarten only because of the fear that their child may become infected with a childhood infection. During an outbreak of the disease in the city, a child can become infected with a childhood infection in many other ways - when traveling on public transport, going to the supermarket. After all, adults can bring pathogens home on their clothes and shoes. And although this article is not about intestinal diseases, they cannot be ignored at least briefly. Intestinal diseases are most widespread in the summer. One of the most common causes of intestinal disorders in children is the basic failure to observe basic hygiene rules. The causative agent of an intestinal infection can enter a child's body in various ways - through food, water, dirty hands. Also, very often the cause of the disease is insufficiently cooked meat. Such intestinal infections are characterized by an acute and sudden onset - the child complains of pain in the abdomen, he begins to have debilitating vomiting and diarrhea. Childhood intestinal infections are extremely dangerous, since young children very quickly develop severe dehydration, which can lead to the most dire consequences. At the first signs of the disease, you must immediately seek medical help.

What should parents pay attention to?

There are a number of signs that parents should pay special attention to. So, parents should consult a doctor if they notice:

• Rash

The appearance of a rash always makes parentssound the alarm. In most cases, the summertime rash is just a manifestation of prickly heat. However, the rash is also a faithful companion of such diseases as scarlet fever, rubella, chickenpox. In addition, the rash can also accompany various allergic reactions. In this case, the rash appears and spreads very quickly, resembling nettle burns in appearance.

• Increased size of lymph nodes

As a rule, enlarged lymph nodes in a childindicate the presence of an inflammatory process in the body, which can be either local or general. In very rare cases, inflammation and enlargement of the lymph nodes in a baby may indicate the presence of blood diseases in the child. If parents find an inflamed lymph node in their baby, they should immediately seek medical help. Very often, parents make the same mistake - they begin to warm up the nodes. However, this should never be done, as it can cause suppuration of the lymph node.

• The emergence of hyperthermia - an increase in body temperature in a child

An increase in temperature often accompaniesalmost all known childhood infectious diseases. In some cases, the temperature may be elevated only slightly, while in other cases - to critical levels. However, parents should remember that a slight increase in body temperature may also be associated with increased motor activity of the baby and excessively warm clothing. However, of course, the temperature will be elevated slightly, to readings of approximately 37.2 - 37.5 degrees.

• Pain in the abdomen

In the event that your little one is clearly showingconcern, you should try to find out if his tummy hurts. Very often, a child, due to his age, simply cannot express his feelings in words. But stomach pains can be symptoms of quite serious diseases. If a child complains of stomach pains, he must be put to bed, not fed or given anything to drink until the doctor arrives. In no case should you apply heat to the baby's stomach!

• Loss of consciousness

In a small child, loss of consciousness may occurindicate the presence of the following problems: intracranial pressure, infectious diseases, heat strokes. Sometimes loss of consciousness is accompanied by hyperthermia (increased temperature). In any case, no matter what caused the loss of consciousness in a child, this is a serious indication for an immediate call to an ambulance team.

Chickenpox

The most common infectiouschildhood disease is chickenpox or, as it is popularly called, varicella. A person can only get chickenpox once in a lifetime, after which the body develops lifelong immunity to the varicella pathogen. Most often, the disease is contracted in childhood, and chickenpox in children is much easier than in adults. Parents should have an idea of ​​​​what is the causative agent of the disease, how the disease progresses and what consequences it can have for the child's body. The causative agent of chickenpox is transmitted by airborne droplets, that is, through the upper respiratory tract and mucous membranes, including the mucous membrane of the eye. It is because of this method of spreading that the disease got its name chickenpox or chickenpox. Most often, chickenpox affects young children attending kindergartens. Chickenpox is an extremely contagious disease, so a sick child should be immediately isolated from other children.

Symptoms of chickenpox

The first signs of chickenpox do not appear untilthan 14-20 days after the first contact with a sick person. This is how long the incubation period of the disease lasts, during which the pathogen in the child's body does not manifest itself in any way. The minimum incubation period ever recorded by doctors was only 7 days. After the incubation period has expired, the child's body temperature rises sharply and significantly - to about 39 degrees. If the increase in temperature were not accompanied by a rash, the onset of the disease could be mistaken for a common respiratory infection - the child complains of a headache and general malaise. Immediately after the increase in body temperature, a rash begins to appear on the child's skin. At first, flat pink spots appear, which after a few hours fill with liquid contents and take the form of bubbles. Many parents try to squeeze them out, believing that the disease will pass faster. However, this is not the case - squeezing out bubbles can only worsen the child's condition and lead to the appearance of numerous scars. The first few days of rashes in children with chickenpox are very abundant. Moreover, they are localized not only on the skin, but also on the mucous membranes - in the mouth, on the genitals. The rash is almost always accompanied by an extremely strong feeling of itching and the child constantly tries to scratch it. In no case should you allow the child to scratch the rash, as this can lead to infection in the wound. The course of the disease in children is wave-like - some blisters disappear, new ones appear. The appearance of rashes usually occurs in the first 4 days of the disease, after which it subsides. Crusts appear in place of the blisters, which gradually disappear on their own without a trace.

Treatment of chicken pox

If children have chickenpox, treatment should be startedimmediately. The next issue that needs to be addressed is the treatment of chickenpox. The first and most common mistake parents make is self-prescribing antibiotics. This is a fundamentally wrong approach to treating chickenpox. Chickenpox is caused by a virus, so taking antibiotics is absolutely useless. The only case when antibiotics are justified is an accompanying bacterial infection. But even in this case, only a doctor should prescribe an antibiotic. Although the methods of treating chickenpox are similar, they may differ in each specific case. A bacterial infection most often occurs because a child scratches the rash and brings in an infection. That is why it is so important for parents to ensure that children do not scratch itchy blisters. Of course, if the child is very young, admonitions and prohibitions will not achieve anything. Parents have a huge burden - they have to watch their baby almost around the clock, distracting him from scratching the blisters. During the treatment of the disease, pediatricians advise the child to stay in bed - especially in the first few days of the disease. Be sure to change your baby's bed linen and underwear daily. This measure will help to significantly reduce the number and intensity of new rashes. Also, during the treatment period, it is necessary to avoid water procedures. The only thing you can do is take short baths with pale pink manganese. The duration of the baths should not exceed 3 minutes. There is no specific treatment for chickenpox, just as there are no medications for chickenpox. However, there are still certain tactics for alleviating the condition of a sick child. The main ones are listed below:

Therapeutic diet.During illness, the child must follow a certain gentle diet - all products that can become allergens must be excluded from the child's diet. The child's menu must include more plant and dairy foods.

Drinking regime.The child must receive a sufficient amount of liquid to avoid dehydration. Very often, children refuse not only to eat but also to drink due to rashes in the mouth - parents will have to show miracles of ingenuity and resourcefulness to give the baby something to drink.

Antipyretic drugs.If a child has a high body temperature for a long time, parents have to resort to antipyretic pharmacological drugs. Remember that doctors do not advise bringing down the temperature below 38.5 degrees. The exception is children under one year old, as well as those babies who have previously had cases of seizures against the background of high temperature.

Bubble processing.Surely everyone has seen "leopard" babies, who can easily be identified as having chickenpox by the characteristic green spots on their bodies. A solution of brilliant green does not treat rashes, but it has a disinfecting effect, reducing the risk of a secondary bacterial infection. In addition, brilliant green dries out wounds to a large extent and relieves itching a little. A solution of potassium permanganate has approximately the same effect - but be extremely careful - too strong a solution of potassium permanganate can cause a burn on delicate baby skin. The water should be pink, but not purple.

Oral cavity treatment. If a child has chickenpox in the mouth, oral cavity treatment should consist of rinsing with a weak solution of furacilin. It is necessary to rinse the mouth approximately every two hours.

Consequences of chickenpox

Many parents are concerned about the question ofWhat are the possible consequences of chickenpox suffered by a child? Externally, chickenpox can leave traces on the skin in the form of small scars where the blisters were. As a rule, this happens if the child scratched the wounds and brought in an infection, which resulted in suppuration of the rash. Chickenpox rarely causes serious negative consequences for the child's health. In extremely rare cases, such a complication of the disease as encephalomyelitis - inflammation of the membranes of the brain - occurs. Also, the so-called congenital chickenpox poses some danger. It occurs in a child if a woman becomes infected with chickenpox during pregnancy. If a pregnant woman who has not previously had chickenpox has contact with a sick child, she needs to see a doctor as soon as possible. If the woman is vaccinated within the first 48 hours after contact, this will help prevent the development of the disease in the woman. However, parents whose children have chickenpox should not worry - in most cases, chickenpox passes without any complications or traces, provided that the child received proper treatment and care.

Rubella

The next most common childhood infectious diseasedisease is rubella. Rubella - symptoms, treatment will be considered below. Children are very, very susceptible to this disease. Children of all ages are susceptible to this disease - both infants and older children. This disease is especially dangerous for an unborn baby - if a pregnant woman gets rubella, there is a high probability that the fetus will develop serious developmental defects. Rubella is caused by a filtering virus. This virus is unstable to various environmental influences and quickly dies. The source of infection is a sick child, and the route of transmission of the virus is airborne or contact - when the skin of a healthy and sick person comes into contact. The greatest danger to others is a child on the third or fourth day after the onset of the disease.

Symptoms of rubella

The incubation period of the disease isapproximately two to three weeks. After this time, the child's body temperature rises significantly - up to 39 - 39.5 degrees. Within a few hours, various groups of the child's lymph nodes swell - cervical, submandibular, axillary and inguinal. Within a day, cough, runny nose, sore throat join the above-mentioned manifestations of the disease. On the third day, the child may complain of a headache, lacrimation and photophobia. Also on the third day, the child develops a rash on the skin, which has a red-brown color. The rash begins on the face and scalp, gradually spreading over the entire surface of the skin. The rashes do not merge into one, and after a few days they disappear on their own, leaving no traces. In some cases, rubella can occur without a rash at all. Quite rarely, but still, rubella can cause complications such as arthritis and rubella encephalitis.

Treating rubella

If a child has rubella, treatment will also be only symptomatic:

• Compliance with bed rest and rest.
• Gentle diet is easily assimilated and rich in vitamins.
• Sufficient liquid.
• Reception of antiviral and antipyretic drugs.

Remember that medicationsshould be prescribed to a child only by a pediatrician, taking into account the course of the disease and the individual characteristics of the child's body. Treatment of rubella in children takes about 10 days, as do all childhood skin diseases.

Whooping cough

Another very common children'sinfectious disease is whooping cough in children. Whooping cough is a bacterial disease caused by a bacterium called Bordetella. It is also unstable to environmental influences and quickly dies, therefore, the transmission route of this disease is, accordingly, only airborne. The contagiousness of this disease is extremely high - upon contact with a sick person is almost 100%. However, the radius of action of the bacteria does not exceed one to two meters, so infection is possible only through close contact with a sick person - during communication or playing together. That is why whooping cough epidemics most often break out in children's educational institutions. The incubation period of this disease lasts different times in different children - for some it is 6 - 7 days, and for others it is two to three weeks. Whooping cough is divided by doctors into three stages of the disease:

• Catarrhal or prodromal period of the course of the disease.
• Paroxysmal period of the disease.
• Period of recovery of the child.

Catarrhal period of the disease

It lasts for one to two weeks.The child develops a dry, exhausting cough. The temperature may remain completely normal, or rise only slightly - up to 37 - 37.5 degrees. At this stage, diagnosing whooping cough is often difficult and doctors diagnose the child with acute respiratory viral infection or bronchitis. Since there is most often no temperature at this stage of the disease, the child continues to attend kindergarten and continue to infect children. After all, it is during this period that the child is most contagious. In the paroxysmal period of the disease, the intensity of the cough increases several times. The cough most bothers the sick child at night. The cough becomes paroxysmal, becomes spasmodic. During this period, the cough becomes so specific that diagnosing the childhood disease whooping cough is not difficult. The duration of the disease is on average 2 - 3 months, after which the disease subsides. Doctors note the most severe course of the disease in children of the first year of life. Due to severe coughing fits in small children, not only hypoxia but also other, more serious diseases of the cardiovascular system often occur.

Piggy

And finally, speaking about childhood infectious diseasesdiseases, we cannot fail to mention mumps. Childhood mumps is an extremely acute infectious disease in which the salivary parotid glands become inflamed and, as a result, swell. Mumps, like other infectious diseases, does not manifest itself immediately - the incubation period of the disease is at least three weeks.

Symptoms of mumps

A child who has been infected with mumps, after the incubation period has passed, begins to complain of:

• Deterioration of general health is weakness, apathy.
• A significant decrease in appetite - a child can refuse not only from eating, but also from eating.
• Raise body temperature to 39 degrees.
• Swelling in the hole behind the ear of the salivary glands, most often on both sides. The swelling to the touch is slightly dense, painful. Also, the child experiences painful pains when yawning, chewing and yawning.
• In the place of swelling, the skin is very smooth and shiny in appearance.

The first three - five days the swelling will becontinue to increase and grow, while the child's cheeks swell significantly. Around the 6th to 7th day, the reverse process begins - the swelling gradually begins to disappear, completely disappearing only on the 10th day. Along with the swelling, the temperature drops, and the child's well-being gradually normalizes.

Treatment of the disease

Correct and timely treatment of mumps hasis extremely important, since the disease can have quite serious consequences and complications. Inflammation of the meninges, brain matter, dysfunction of the middle ear. However, do not be afraid - such complications, as a rule, arise only as a result of improper care of a sick child and treatment. If parents notice swelling or edema behind the ears or in the neck area of ​​their baby, immediately put the child to bed and call a doctor at home. Only a doctor can distinguish mumps from inflammation of the cervical lymph nodes. Diagnostics is extremely important for the correct prescription of treatment. As a rule, with the usual course of the disease, treatment can be carried out at home. However, parents should keep in mind that this disease is extremely contagious, so the child should be isolated from all other family members. Throughout the treatment, the child should stay in bed - bed rest is almost the main guarantee of successful treatment of mumps. The child's neck should be warmly wrapped - a scarf is convenient to use for this purpose, but make sure that the scarf does not prick the child's skin. It is better to try not to use woolen scarves. In no case should wet bandages or alcohol compresses be applied. The best compress, which significantly alleviates the condition of a sick child, is an oil compress. The compress should be applied as follows: moisten a gauze napkin with warm sunflower oil, previously mixed with aloe leaf juice in a ratio of 2 to 1, apply the napkin to the swollen glands, cover it with plastic wrap and wrap it in a warm cloth. It is advisable to leave such a compress on overnight. The diet of a sick child should consist of easily digestible foods. Be sure to monitor the child's drinking regimen - in no case should dehydration be allowed to occur. Remember that it is extremely painful for a child with mumps to chew, so prepare soups and liquid porridges for him. Various purees intended for feeding children in the first year of life are very suitable for the period of illness. If a boy with mumps has swollen testicles, or if the child complains of pain, tie them up very carefully with a wide piece of soft cloth. Bed rest should be especially strict for boys to avoid complications from the reproductive system. Of course, this material does not list all existing childhood infections, but it does list the most common ones. Remember that all information is for informational purposes only and should in no way be a guide to action. Only a pediatrician should diagnose the disease and prescribe treatment. And the task of parents is to strictly follow his instructions and recommendations. We recommend reading:

Comments

comments