The source of chlamydia is a special type of chlamydia bacteria that invades he althy cells. Therefore, they are called intracellular parasites. Bacteria penetrate into the cells of the respiratory organs, into the mucous membranes of the eyes. This insidious disease, unlike other infections, is much more difficult to identify and treat - it develops imperceptibly, but gradually worsens and drags on for several months or even years. It is very important to determine the symptoms and treatment of chlamydia in children in time so as not to start the disease.
Causes and routes of infection
Chlamydia can occur in a child of any age, even immediately after birth. Specialists conducted many years of research, and based on their results, they identified several ways of chlamydia infection in children.
- Airborne. In most cases, chlamydia pneumonia is transmitted this way. If one of the parents gets sick, then the baby (probability is 40-45%) may get this infection. Also of great importance is the contact of the child with objects of common use.
- Contact-domestic route occurs in the transmission of chlamydia psitaki. Infection can occur when a child plays with birds (even domestic ones) or cats, which may have pathologies of the ENT organs or organs of vision. There are also cases of infection with chlamydia when you are in a dusty room in which many harmful parasites fly. Moreover, the pathogen tends to remain active for up to 4 days!
- Vertical. A child can become infected with chlamydia even during its intrauterine development, since microorganisms can freely cross the placenta, quickly getting into the water. In addition, the child can become infected during childbirth. Chlamydia is also sometimes found in breast milk, passing on to a newborn baby.
Immunity in a newborn baby is not sufficiently developed, and therefore contaminated air is called the most common cause of chlamydia.
A feature of fetal infection is the risk of intrauterine infection, aspiration (amniotic fluid entering the nose or mouth) and contact (intranatal) routes at the onset of labor.
It is possible to eliminate the source of chlamydia development only after an accurate determination of the route of infection. If you choose the wrong therapy, then most likely, even after treatment, the risk of recurrence of chlamydia remains.
Symptoms and signs
First of all, you can notice such a sign of chlamydia in a child as a pronounced painful appearance and obvious changes in behavior - unreasonable blues and crying. Several disorders appear immediately: conjunctivitis of the eyes and purulent mucous discharge from the nose, then the child's breathing quickens, the body temperature rises, and a dry cough appears.
If the disease is acute, then several organs are affected simultaneously:
- liver;
- heart;
- lungs (pneumonia develops);
- stomach (regurgitation and even bouts of vomiting appear);
- intestines - which provokes bloating and stool disorders (constipation or, conversely, diarrhea).
Sometimes even this leads to damage to the brain and nervous system - the child becomes capricious, irritable and nervous, with increased excitability, there is a slight trembling of the limbs - both arms and legs. If the disease is left without proper attention and run, then the result can be with serious complications. The disease progresses and becomes chronic.
Views
The type of this infection depends on the path that provoked the entry of bacteria into the body. Depending on these factors, doctors distinguish the following types of pathology:
- Respiratory chlamydia in children is the most well-studied and common form that can infect children of any age. Usually this is the age of 5-15 years, but there are cases when even newborns fell ill with respiratory chlamydia. It is worth noting that diagnosing respiratory chlamydia in children is quite difficult: the clinical picture is similar to SARS, and the pediatrician cannot always correctly differentiate the symptoms.
- Congenital chlamydia - this type affects the child during fetal development, is transmitted from an untreated mother or through the amniotic fluid, since chlamydia easily crosses the placenta. Often, the disease is characterized by an inflammatory process in the mucous membrane of the eyes, so the child after birth can be diagnosed with "chlamydial conjunctivitis".
- Pulmonary chlamydia in children is a rather dangerous condition, since bacteria, once in the lungs, can provoke the development of serious diseases that are difficult to treat, especially in children. Chlamydial bronchitis and pneumonia deserve special attention. It is known that it is not easy to determine this type of pathology in infants.
- Urogenital chlamydia is caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis and usually affects the genitals. Girls often have vulvitis, and boys often have urethritis. This type of chlamydia is also transmitted to the baby mainly during childbirth.
Taking into account the variety and complexity of the disease, the doctor determines the most optimal and effective treatment regimen. It is very important to catch the symptoms and first manifestations of the disease in time, as well as to know the symptoms of chlamydia in a child.
Treatment regimen
After doing all the tests prescribed by the doctor, chlamydia in childrenare treated according to the following scheme:
- Preparation - goes on for five to seven days. This period includes immunocorrection (if necessary with low immunity) "Polyoxidonium" or "Amiksin", multivitamin complexes, vitamin E, "Wobenzym", "Trypsin". In addition, local therapy for the symptoms of the disease is used: microclysters with the Chlorhexidine substance, baths and installations with pharmaceutical preparations.
- Basic therapy - carried out for fourteen days with antibiotics, antifungal agents if necessary, peptic enzymes ("Mezim", "Festal", "Pancreatin"). It is possible to conduct basic therapy, connecting it with the initial stage of therapy.
- Recovery - continues for fourteen days. During this stage, the balance of the intestinal microflora is restored by probiotics. Hepatoprotectors are used, physiotherapeutic procedures are carried out.
Medicated treatment
When an infectious disease such as chlamydia is detected in a child, it is extremely important to start appropriate drug therapy in a timely manner - this is the only way to prevent the spread of infection throughout the baby's body and avoid serious consequences and pathologies.
A feature of drug treatment of respiratory chlamydia in children is that the child's body, weakened by the infection, requires a dosage carefully adjusted by the attending physiciandrugs (as a rule, the child should be given minimal doses to avoid complications).
Antibacterial
The main treatment is carried out with antibacterial drugs (the younger the age, the lower the dosage).
- It is recommended to use a group of 1-3rd generation macrolides, including: Roxithromycin, Erythromycin, Clarithromycin, Azithromycin, Josamycin, Rovamycin.
- Drugs of the lincosamide group are used: "Amoxicillin", "Clindamycin".
- Recommended for use are antibiotics of the tetracycline group, the most famous among them: "Doxycycline", "Tetracycline". It should be noted that such drugs are only allowed for children over 8 years of age.
- In addition, medications of the pharmacological group of fluoroquinolones are prescribed, including Lomefloxacin, Ofloxacin. However, these drugs are not used for drug therapy in children under 12.
Immunomodulators
As you know, the effect of drug treatment is most powerful if the body itself includes all its defenses, and the state of the immune system plays an important role in this. Therefore, in order to support the child's immunity, immunomodulators are recommended for prescription, the most acceptable of those presented in pharmacy chains today are the following drugs:
- "Cycloferon" is used parenterally along with antibiotics.
- "Viferon", as a rule, is produced in the form of candles and is used according to the following scheme: a child under three years old is shown one candle twice a day; a child from three to six years old half a candle twice a day; a child over the age of six is shown to use twice a day for a whole candle. This drug is used for 10 days with a second course after 20 days.
For the medical treatment of local manifestations of chlamydia in children, topical preparations are used. To lubricate the affected surfaces, erythromycin or tetracycline ointments are recommended. With signs of damage to the mucous membrane of the child's eye similar to viral conjunctivitis (lacrimation, redness of the sclera, morning sticking of the eye), drops "Sulfacyl sodium", "Kolbiocin" are recommended.
Vitamins
In parallel with the appointment of a group of antibiotics, as a rule, vitamin courses are always recommended, namely vitamin E, vitamin A, C, their dosage is set by the attending physician individually, taking into account the age and condition of the child.
To neutralize the effect of a group of antibiotics on the state of the intestinal flora and in order to prevent dysbacteriosis, doctors prescribe appropriate probiotics and biologics, including:
- "Acipol";
- "Acilact";
- "Bactisporin";
- candles also work well"Kipferon".
Chlamydial infections in children can sometimes be treated with antifungal drugs such as Nystatin. In addition, drug therapy includes drugs that eliminate associated symptoms, such as an expectorant for coughing.
Saxifrage Thigh
Medicinal herb saxifrage-femur has amazing properties that make it possible to carry out the necessary therapy for chlamydia in children. For the treatment of a child, the grass is collected during flowering. The broth is prepared in proportions: a spoon for a glass of boiled water. The medicine should be insisted during the night and consumed 1/3 cup 3 times a day thirty minutes before meals. If necessary, a decoction is used to wash the eyes and douche.
Parsley infusion
It is necessary to chop the stems of greens - one tablespoon, pour boiling water. The composition is prepared for 5 minutes, and then insisted for 20 minutes and drunk half a glass before meals.
It is necessary to mix birch leaves and horsetail in equal portions. A tablespoon of plants is poured with two glasses of boiling water and insisted for half an hour. After that, the composition is filtered and drunk 3 times a day in a spoon.
Decoction with herbs
In the same parts, you need to take a string, kopechnik, licorice root and chamomile. All the ingredients are crushed and a spoonful of the collection is poured into a thermos, pouring 200 milliliters of boiling water. This must be done at night. The resulting raw material is drunk the next day - three times a day for 1/3glass.
Garlic
It is necessary to peel and grind the cloves of the bulbous plant. Ghee at room temperature is added to the resulting mass and candles are formed, which are wrapped in cellophane and placed in the refrigerator to solidify. They are then inserted into the vagina every day at bedtime for a week.
Consequences of chlamydia for a child
In children, this disease can cause sepsis, Reiter's syndrome, convulsions. The illness can last from three days to a month. In girls, due to the disease, itching and redness near the genitals, as well as unusual discharge.
In boys, the disease causes inflammation of the urethra or occurs without symptoms. The child may begin a prolonged cough, which sometimes lasts a whole month. Often there is drowsiness, body temperature rises.
Illness leads to the fact that the child begins to sweat a lot. This disease often affects the visual system, leading to purulent processes.
May appear not only dry, but also wet cough with sputum. The child eats poorly, he has a vomiting reaction. This disease can affect different organs and systems. The consequence of chlamydia is severe shortness of breath.
