The human body has a complex structure of biological type. As a result of this, pathological changes occur.
If we talk about the body of children, then it has a complex mechanism of functioning, as it develops and forms. Therefore, often parents turn to a specialist with such a problem as dystrophy in a child.
One of the problems is the early diagnosis of this process, after which it is necessary to begin immediate treatment.
Most often, dystrophy in a child occurs before the age of three. There are several degrees of this disease. All of them will be discussed in more detail in this article. The disease is more thoroughly investigated by pediatrics. Dystrophy in children who observe not only the diet, but also the sleep and wakefulness regimen, should not be. This article will consider what methods of effective treatment of this disease exist, and will also talk about preventive measures.
What is dystrophy?
This term implies pathological changes. The latter, in turn, lead to cellularmetabolic disorders.
As a result of improper metabolism, damage occurs to part of the cells, the intercellular substance of organs.
Accordingly, after there are structural changes in the body. As a rule, the main cause of dystrophy in a child is the wrong diet or poor care for the baby.
It should be remembered that if you find some signs of this disease, you should not fight the disease yourself. It is urgent to contact a specialist. Below in the article are photos of dystrophy in children.
As a rule, most often this disease occurs in babies who live on the African continent. It is this area that is characterized by a small amount of food and not the best living conditions. Compared with the African continent, in Europe, dystrophy in young children is practically not found. Its rate is 1.5%. Premature babies are also at risk.
Causes of illness
If the doctor made such a diagnosis as dystrophy in a child, it should be determined what caused it to develop. After establishing the cause, the doctor prescribes treatment.
Muscle dystrophy in children can develop due to infectious diseases of the woman in labor, which she already had during pregnancy. Also, this ailment may be the result of a girl in a position of bad habits, such as smoking or drinking alcohol.
During the bearing of a child, vitamins A and E, ascorbic andfolic acid, magnesium and iodine. For this reason, the specialist prescribes the appropriate drugs.
Also, the ailment may be due to dysfunction of the placenta.
Violation of the child's diet leads to muscular dystrophy. Babies experience this when they only consume breast milk.
As a result of infectious lesions of the gastrointestinal tract or SARS, this disease can also develop.
Other causes of dystrophy in a child are pathological changes in the chromosomal and somatic type, pancreatitis and gastritis, weakened immunity in children, tumors of the gastrointestinal tract, celiac disease and pyloric stenosis.
Some doctors say that the cause of this disease is the age of the woman in labor: too early or too late. But this has not been proven in any way.
Therefore, in the normal course of pregnancy at any age of a woman, there should be no complications.
Classification of pathology
There are several types or degrees of dystrophy in children.
Below will be detailed about each of them. Consider them:
- Neuropathic. In this case, the total body weight does not decrease by more than 11%. Other signs of malnutrition in a child include loss of appetite, trouble sleeping, irritability, and frequent temper tantrums.
- Neurodystrophic. Here we are talking about primary anorexia. The body weight of a child with this type of ailment has already been reduced by more than 11%. There is also a lag in both mental and mental development.
- Neuroendocrine. In this case, we are talking about congenital pathology. The body weight of the child is lower by 21% of the normative indicators. Other symptoms of dystrophy in children include microthoracocephaly, as well as a lag in physical development.
- Encephalopathic. This is the very last degree. Here the lag in physical development is clearly expressed. Defects in psychomotor development are also present. The body of such children lacks a large amount of vitamins. They have no appetite at all. In addition, partial damage to parts of the brain is observed, and in addition, in such babies, the development of the skeletal system is impaired.
Other signs of dystrophy in a child include skin problems, low blood pressure, tearfulness, constant nausea, diarrhea, or, conversely, constipation.
You should also pay attention to the temperature of the child's body. With this pathology, it may be below normal.
There is also another classification of dystrophy in a child. There are congenital and acquired pathologies. Thanks to this, the specialist can prescribe further treatment and talk about the consequences.
So, with hereditary dystrophy in children, damage to the central nervous system is observed. As a result, metabolic disorders occur. The latter include proteins, fats and carbohydrates. In this case, there is a high risk of death.
How is the diagnosis made?
In order to confirm or refute the diagnosis, it is necessary to carry out several research procedures. To begin with, the specialist conducts a generalbaby examination. This includes assessing the condition of the skin and muscle tone. In addition, the pediatrician examines the uniformity of the location of fatty tissue under the skin. After that, the heart rate is examined, as well as the temperature of the child's body.
Why do I need a complete blood count? In pediatrics with dystrophy in children, this element of the study is especially informative. In particular, this can be said about the biochemical analysis of blood.
The presence of pathology is indicated by a decrease in the index of digestive enzymes. Another sign is hypochromic anemia and polyhypovitaminosis. Also, a child suffering from this pathology may have a thickening of the blood. The latter is the result of increased hemoglobin. And another symptom is a decrease in the erythrocyte sedimentation rate.
If such signs are found during the analysis of the results of the study, then the pediatrician sends an ultrasound of the internal organs or x-rays to confirm or refute the diagnosis.
What are the basics of therapy?
This pathology cannot be treated on its own. A specialist consultation is required.
In addition, it all depends on the degree of dystrophy in the child. Focusing on this, the specialist will prescribe the necessary and correct treatment, as well as select the right diet.
Some information about the rules of nutrition
As a rule, in this situation, the specialist prescribes a special diet. It is referred to as "rejuvenating". Its essenceis that the baby is fed very often. But the portions are small.
The energy value, as well as the amount of food consumed, is calculated by the doctor himself. All this is based on the body weight of the child. Typically, for children with this pathology, the energy value will be approximately 19% higher than normal.
Fats, proteins and carbohydrates are also calculated separately. It is desirable to exclude the first element in the list. Since the body of a baby with dystrophy does not have enough enzymes that can break down fats. A child with a pathology of proteins in the diet should have much more, and carbohydrates remain normal.
There is a gene for dystrophin. It is he who is the culprit of this pathology and is responsible for its development. A change in the qualitative composition of the food consumed should not be done so quickly. It is necessary to monitor how they are absorbed by the body of a small patient.
First, fruit and vegetable purees, as well as yolk, should be added to the baby's diet.
Another prerequisite for this diet is the exact calculation of the norm of minerals and vitamins per day.
If there is a very large shortage of nutrients in the baby's diet, they should be sharply increased. But you need to know that a specialist must deal with all this.
Drug treatment of dystrophy in children
This type of therapy is used only when there is an urgent need for it. Everything is done to ensure that the child returns to normal. In addition, thanks tomedication, the baby should not experience complications.
There are several types of this therapy.
So, the first one is the oral administration of food enzymes. As a rule, they are appointed immediately. In this case, the specialist prescribes drugs such as pancreatin together with calcium carbonate or pepsin with hydrochloric acid.
The second type of drug therapy is treatment with vitamin C and B. The doses of these beneficial substances in dystrophy in a child should be almost 6 times higher. Vitamins such as D, A are prescribed to the baby only in case of their shortage.
Hormonal treatment is used to eliminate metabolic problems. Here we are talking about such medicines as Nerobol and Thyroidin.
In addition, in pediatrics with dystrophy in children, donor blood is injected to stimulate the body, as well as y-globulin. In addition, in this case, rectal suppositories, called "Apilak", are also used.
With congenital dystrophy, the central nervous system is affected. In order to prevent complications, the specialist prescribes glutamic acid and Cerebrolysin injections.
Parents should be aware that this pathology can develop due to the presence of gallstones.
Treatment of dystrophy in babies is considered a complex and lengthy process. Therefore, parents should take good care of their child, as well as follow all the instructions of the doctor.
About complications
Will a child be able to recover from this pathology? Everything will depend on the degree of complexity of dystrophy. If the disease is acquired, then if all the advice of a specialist is followed, recovery occurs.
Things are different with congenital pathology. In this case, the chances of recovery are minimal. As a rule, in the latter case, specialists support the baby's body with the help of a symptomatic method of treatment. With Duchenne myodystrophy, which is one of the most severe types of the disease, a person's life expectancy is about a quarter of a century. Some of the patients live much longer.
One of the complications of this pathology is the lag in both physical and mental development. Also, the baby's immune system is suppressed.
As a result of this, it is the children who are diagnosed with dystrophy who have a high risk of getting sick with such ailments as pneumonia, otitis media, SARS.
You should know that this kind of complications should not be subject to the recommendations of a specialist.
About preventive measures
In order to avoid congenital pathology, the expectant mother should lead a he althy lifestyle.
So, the basics of preventing dystrophy in children is to follow several recommendations for girls in position. They must necessarily give up excessive physical exertion, as well as avoid stress.
The diet of both the expectant mother and the one who has already given birth should be correct. Under the lastmeans a balanced diet. Thanks to this, the breast milk that the baby eats will be saturated with all the necessary nutrients.
Before conceiving children, every woman should be screened for infectious diseases. If they are, you must first undergo treatment. In the presence of chronic diseases, you should constantly visit a specialist.
Expectant mother is strictly forbidden to drink alcohol and smoke. And there can be no talk of narcotic substances.
Preventive measures of the acquired form of pathology mean feeding the baby with breast milk up to 1.5 years. Also, complementary foods should be introduced on time. With artificial feeding of the baby, it is necessary to correctly select the milk mixture. As a rule, in this case, consultation with a specialist is necessary.
Also, do not forget about the various methods of strengthening the child's immunity.
Conclusions
Familiarizing yourself with the various degrees of dystrophy in a child, we can say that this pathology is treatable. At the first symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor. After all, therapy for this pathology is very long. And in order for your child not to have acquired dystrophy, you should follow the preventive measures that were described above.
