Prevention and treatment of diathesis in children
The common term "diathesis" is not a diagnosis, as many believe for some reason. This is a congenital anomaly of the constitution - a borderline condition characterized by the risk of a number of diseases. The cause of diathesis in infants is a hereditary predisposition of the body, which manifests itself as a pathological reaction (hyperreactivity) to certain stimuli. A predisposition to diathesis can be considered the result of a peculiar accumulation of features by previous generations from the action of adverse environmental conditions. The mechanism of the appearance of diathesis is associated with the peculiarities of the immune system (excessive production of lg E), metabolic disorders, and increased permeability of capillaries. Under certain conditions, the adaptability of the body decreases, its reactivity changes, as a result of which there is a tendency to certain diseases.
Symptoms of diathesis in children
Symptoms depend on the age of the child. Diathesis in the child's cheeks, rash, swelling in the folds of the skin, redness, abdominal pain, poor appetite, frequent loose stools - these symptoms are typical for babies. A reaction can occur when eating cow's milk, juice or puree from orange/red fruits, and in the case of exclusive breastfeeding - when the mother's diet is wrong. Therefore, the prevention of diathesis in newborns consists in identifying products, as a result of which the mother's consumption "showers" the child, and excluding them from the mother's diet. Adherence to a hypoallergenic diet by women at risk of giving birth to a child with an allergic predisposition can reduce the likelihood of developing diathesis. Most often, babies react to citrus fruits, chocolate, eggs, seafood.
The main symptoms of diathesis in children older than one year are rash and itching. A similar reaction may occur to the following products:
- citrus;
- strawberries, raspberries;
- chocolate, cocoa;
- peanuts, honey;
- fish;
- crabs, shrimps, crayfish.
In children with exudative-catarrhal diathesis, already in the first month of life, persistent rashes appear in skin folds, seborrheic crusts on the head, and a little later - redness of the skin of the cheeks, erythematous spots on various parts of the body, itchy nodular rash on the extremities, dryness skin, wet areas. A rash appears on the creases of the arms/legs, causing excruciating itching. When scratching, the child can get an infection. The tongue takes on the appearance of a "geographical map", allergic rashes are observed all over the body. Children can suffer from prolonged conjunctivitis, otitis, rhinitis. Girls with exudative diathesis may develop vulvovaginitis.
Hemorrhagic diathesis
This disorder is characterized by a tendency to hemorrhage or bleeding, which is a consequence of blood clotting disorders. Several forms of the condition are noted: from mild to extremely severe.
The diagnosis of "hemorrhagic diathesis" unites a number of congenital and acquired pathologies in which there is a tendency to repeated hemorrhages. What does diathesis look like? In children suffering from this type of diathesis, bruises on the body appear spontaneously for no apparent reason or as a result of light touches. At the same time, the number and size of bruises absolutely do not correspond to the damage. The mechanism of development of this condition is associated with platelet pathology, blood clotting disorders, or vessel wall damage. Hemorrhagic diathesis in children can be the result of genetic disorders, for example, with hemophilia or von Willebrand's disease.
Symptoms depend on the cause of the disease. When the permeability of the vessel walls is disturbed, a small rash appears all over the body, including on the mucous membranes, and there may be blood in the urine. Abdominal pain, joint pain, swelling can also indicate hemorrhagic diathesis. Anemia is usually detected in children with impaired blood coagulation. In young patients suffering from hemorrhagic diathesis, nosebleeds, sudden subcutaneous hemorrhages, and hemorrhages in the joint cavity are often observed. Menorrhagia (menstrual blood loss that exceeds the norm) is noted in girls at the age of puberty.
Other types of diathesis
Uric acid diathesis is not considered a pathology. It is one of the variants of the anomaly of the constitution. The condition is characterized by a more intense than usual purine metabolism (its final product is uric acid). With this type of diathesis, there is a tendency to dyskinesias of the gastrointestinal tract with the occurrence of acetonemic vomiting, cardiovascular diseases, nervous system diseases, urolithiasis and gallstone diseases, arthritis, and diabetes mellitus are common.
"Salt diathesis" is a diagnosis that does not apply to children. Pathology is diagnosed in people older than 25 years. In this disease, there is an excessive accumulation of salts in the kidney bowls, which are periodically excreted in the urine. Excess salt contributes to the formation of stones in the kidneys and/or bladder.
Prevention and therapy of exudative-catarrhal diathesis
First of all, it is necessary to observe hygiene. Daily baths with bay leaf infusions and special emollients are indicated. Baths have a soothing, disinfecting and moisturizing effect. Do not bathe the baby for too long, do not use washcloths! Do not rub wet skin - dry it by blotting with a soft towel. It is advisable to use dechlorinated water (you can stand the water in the bathroom for 1-2 hours, then heat it, you can use filters or water softeners). Within 3-5 minutes after bathing, apply an emollient to the skin - this will help retain moisture in the skin.
Drug treatment of diathesis in children:
- antihistamines have a dual effect: antiallergic and sedative, except for third-generation drugs (erius in syrup, xysal in drops), which do not cause drowsiness;
- enterosorbents;
- probiotics are prescribed in the presence of dysbiosis;
- hormonal ointments are used with caution and only as prescribed by a doctor.
Read more about the types of diathesis and methods of its treatment on our website https://dobrobut.com/.
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