With some diseases, the child's body cannot cope without the help of potent drugs. At the same time, many parents are wary of giving antibiotics prescribed by a doctor to a child. In fact, when used correctly, they will do more good than harm, and will contribute to the speedy recovery of the baby.
Antibiotics: Definition
Antibiotics are organic substances of semi-synthetic or natural origin that have the ability to destroy microbes or prevent their growth. They cause the death of some bacteria, while others remain completely harmless. The spectrum of action depends on the sensitivity of organisms.
Purpose of admission
The action of antibiotics is aimed at combating infectious and bacterial pathologies. In each individual case, the drug should be selected by the doctor depending on the age and condition of the patient. Such drugs can cause serious side effects in the form of dysbacteriosis, neuralgic disorders, and an allergic reaction. Most often this happens when the dosing regimen and long-term medication are not followed.
Many parents think about what antibiotic to give their child with an infectious disease. Self-medication in this case is prohibited. After all, drugs based on tetracyclines and sulfonamides are not used in pediatric practice, while other groups of antibiotics are prescribed according to strict indications.
When do children need antibiotics?
Antibiotics are prescribed to a child if the disease is of bacterial etiology, and the body is unable to cope with the pathogen on its own. Treatment of some serious diseases is carried out in a stationary mode, constantly monitoring the reaction of the child's body to a drug. In outpatient (home) conditions, antibiotics treat "mild" ailments.
In the first days of the disease, it is necessary to monitor the condition of the baby and allow the body to overcome the disease on its own. At this time, antibiotic therapy is not prescribed. It should be remembered that high fever, cough and runny nose are not yet a reason for the use of such drugs. Having established the nature of pathogenic microbes, you can begin treatment.
It is mandatory to prescribe antibiotics to a child for the following diseases:
- Pneumonia.
- Acute otitis (including in children under 6 months).
- Purulent sore throat.
- Acute (purulent) and chronic sinusitis.
- Paratonsillitis.
- Infectious diseaseurinary system.
- Inflammation of the lungs.
Ordinary bronchitis is not recommended to be treated with antibiotics. Only after confirming the bacterial etiology of the disease, the doctor selects the necessary group of drugs and describes the regimen for taking medications.
Treatment of SARS in children with antibiotics
An acute respiratory infection caused by viruses cannot be treated with antibiotics. Such therapy will only harm a small body. Professional doctors came to this conclusion. Unfortunately, many parents do not listen to the opinion of qualified specialists and find out from their friends what antibiotics children can take with a common cold.
Antibiotics are powerless against viruses until bacteria join them. It is quite difficult to determine this, therefore, control over the course of the disease by the pediatrician is necessary. If a high temperature returns to the baby, cough intensifies, there is a focus of a chronic illness (tonsillitis, pyelonephritis), a bacterial infection may develop against the background of acute respiratory infections.
Parents who doubt whether to give antibiotics to a child even after a doctor's prescription should realize that in some cases these medicines are simply necessary to alleviate the symptoms of the disease and speed up the recovery of the baby. After all, a neglected disease is fraught with serious complications.
Efficacy of antibiotics in diseases of the upper respiratory tract
In childhood, bacterial ENT infections are common and often move from one place to nearby organs. This is facilitated by their anatomicallocation. Most often, children show symptoms of tonsillitis, sinusitis, pharyngitis or otitis media. Having made a diagnosis, the doctor should prescribe antibiotics to the child, depending on the individual tolerance and age of the patient. Medicines from the group of cephalosporins (Cefotaxime, Suprax), penicillins (Flemoxin Solutab, Augmentin), macrolides (Sumamed, Vilprafen) are usually used.
Prolonged use of drugs will cause addiction (resistance), and the sensitivity of microbes to them will disappear. Therefore, antibiotic therapy is not carried out for longer than 14 days. If the therapeutic effect does not appear after 48 hours, such a medicine is replaced by another, taking into account compatibility with the previous one.
Treating intestinal infections with antibiotics in children
Children quickly pick up various intestinal diseases that can cause not only bacteria, but also viruses. When it is necessary to treat a bacterial infection, antibiotics are used: Amoxicillin, Cephalexin. They are prescribed depending on the type of pathogen. They also use antibacterial drugs and enteroseptics: Enterofuril, Nifuratel.
Antibiotics for babies
The immune system in newborns is not yet able to repel the "attack" of pathogenic microorganisms. Breastfeeding provides special protection, but if the baby nevertheless caught a bacterial disease, then the pediatrician must prescribe antibiotics. For children under one year old, such drugs are usually prescribed if the treatment does not give positive results on days 3-5, but with serious diseases(meningococcal infection, purulent tonsillitis, chronic pathologies) require their immediate use).
Harm or benefit?
Modern drugs allow you to fight a bacterial disease with minimal harm to a small organism. This does not mean that you can “just in case” give antibiotics to children. Is it possible to do without these drugs? The answer is ambiguous, because some experts are of the opinion that the treatment of infants should be carried out without taking antibiotics. Parents should understand that in this case, serious consequences may develop that will further harm the he alth of the baby. Therefore, it is necessary to adequately assess the situation and not endanger the child.
Prescribing forms of antibiotics
Depending on the age of the little patient, antibiotics can be prescribed in the form of a suspension (syrup), tablets or injections. The latter option is used for severe diseases in a hospital setting. The most common form is syrup. Included with the bottle is always a measuring spoon, which is convenient to calculate the dose of the drug and give to the child. To prepare the suspension, a powder is used, which is diluted with water before use.
Whatever form of release the drug is prescribed, you must strictly adhere to the recommendations of the pediatrician and observe the dosage and duration of antibiotic treatment. It is forbidden to interrupt the medication. Need to complete the full courseantibiotic therapy to completely cure the infection.
Antibiotic nose drops
Popular in this group of antibiotics are Isofra and Polydex drops. Their use in simple rhinitis is absolutely not justified, as some parents do. Viral rhinitis is not treatable by such means. The ENT should explain exactly when to use antibiotics for children.
Treatment of children with drops with antibacterial components is justified only in cases of purulent rhinitis, which rarely occurs in children. Sometimes they can be prescribed in the complex therapy of otitis, sinusitis, sinusitis. "Polydex" has a hormonal component, so only a doctor can prescribe this medicine. "Isofra" is a safer polymer-based drug, which allows it to be used to treat even newborn babies.
How to give antibiotics to children correctly?
First of all, it is necessary to treat the baby according to the doctor's prescription. Taking antibiotics by children is carried out under the strict supervision of adults. You can not use drugs for treatment that have successfully treated children of friends and relatives. All children are individual, and the disease can have a different etiology. Only when a bacterial or fungal pathogen is confirmed, these agents are prescribed.
When treating children with antibiotics, it is important to observe the following rules:
- Take only pediatrician-recommended medicinesfunds.
- Follow prescribed dosage.
- Respect the frequency of taking antibiotics.
- Take medication as directed, before or after meals.
- Provide bed rest for baby.
- Breast your newborn baby more often.
- Older children should be given plenty of fluids.
- If there is no improvement or an adverse reaction, report it to the doctor.
- Complete the entire course of treatment, do not interrupt in advance.
The consequences of taking antibiotics
Preparations with antibacterial action can bring not only a cure for an infection, but also harm a small organism. First of all, parents are afraid of the subsequent treatment of dysbacteriosis. Indeed, after antibiotics, a child may experience this unpleasant disease, which causes a disturbance in the intestinal microflora, constipation, diarrhea, flatulence, and a feeling of bloating. Experts say that if the recommendations are followed, the risk of an illness is significantly reduced.
Antibiotic preparations can cause an allergic reaction in children in the form of skin rashes (dermatitis), nausea, dizziness, burning in the nose (when using drops), increased heart rate, candidiasis on the oral mucosa, anaphylactic shock. In order to prevent the development of side effects, it is necessary to follow the instructions for using the medicine and follow the prescription of the attending physician, using prescribed antibiotics for the child. If any of these symptoms occur, seek immediate medical attentionmedical assistance.
Recovery of the child's body after antibiotic treatment
Parents should not be afraid of antibiotics prescribed by a doctor to treat an illness in children, but do everything possible to support the body during and after therapy. Breastfeeding babies need to breastfeed more often. This will help repopulate the gut with beneficial bacteria found in milk. If the baby is an artificial one, you will have to populate the intestines with the help of medicines containing bifidobacteria. These are Linex, Hilak Forte, Bifidumbacterin. After taking antibiotics, the child should receive a large amount of fermented milk products and eat right.
If an allergic reaction occurs, it is necessary to cancel the drug and give the baby an antihistamine: Loratadin, Diazolin, Claritin. You can avoid the undesirable consequences of antibiotic therapy only if you give the child the drugs prescribed by the doctor and monitor the body's reaction to their action.
