One of the most important trace elements necessary for bone growth and normal functioning of the heart muscle is calcium. The substance is of particular value for children. The main source of this trace element is dairy products. To treat calcium deficiency, doctors prescribe special medications. Calcium gluconate is recommended for children to give for a variety of diseases. The drug is produced in several forms.
What is a medicine?
Calcium gluconate is a very popular and time-tested remedy that doctors can prescribe for various pathologies that have nothing in common with each other. The active substance - the calcium s alt of gluconic acid - has the form of a white powder. The component regulates calcium-phosphorus metabolism in the body. Calcium, in turn, is necessary for the formation of bones, dental tissue, nails and hair. In addition, the chemical compound is involved in the transmission of nerve impulses and the work of the heart muscle, strengthens the walls of blood vessels, and is necessary for blood clotting.
The drug is produced by many pharmaceutical companies in various forms:chewable tablets, powder and solution for injection. Can I give my child calcium gluconate tablets? Many pediatricians recommend this drug to children even in the first year of life (in a certain dosage). After all, babies need constant replenishment of the reserves of this microelement in the body. This is necessary for the proper formation of the skeleton and the development of muscle tissue. Lack of calcium often leads to a decrease in the protective functions of the body.
Composition and release forms
The most popular form of release of the drug is tablets, which may contain 250 or 500 mg of the active ingredient. As auxiliary components, talc, potato starch and calcium stearate are used. The chewables also contain fruit flavors.
Injection solution (10%) is contained in ampoules containing 10 ml of medicinal liquid. One ampoule contains 1 g of active ingredient.
Indications for use
Calcium is involved in the most important processes in the body. Each person needs to consume 800-2000 mg of this substance per day. With a shortage, a variety of pathological conditions can develop (both in children and adults).
Calcium gluconate is recommended for the following ailments:
- rickets in children (lack of vitamin D);
- hypoparateriosis (deficiency of parathyroid hormone);
- toxic liver damage, hepatitis;
- violation of calcium metabolism;
- increased excretion of calcium fromorganism associated with long-term treatment with certain drugs;
- increased need for calcium (pregnancy, lactation, adolescence);
- bone fractures;
- bleeding;
- Micronutrient deficiency in food;
- frequent allergic reactions;
- poisoning with oxalic acid, fluoric acid, magnesium s alts;
- pulmonary tuberculosis.
Pediatric Use
Calcium gluconate is often prescribed to children. A direct indication for the use of the remedy is, first of all, a lack of a trace element in the body. If the baby has milk protein intolerance, calcium-based preparations are indispensable. Parents should remember that it is highly undesirable to prescribe a remedy to a child on their own. The dosage is calculated depending on the age of the baby.
What are the benefits for children?
Calcium is vital for a baby even in the period of intrauterine development. With a deficiency, such children are often born with insufficient weight, and in the first six months of life they may develop rickets. To avoid such a pathological condition, the expectant mother should monitor her diet and take vitamin complexes. At birth, the baby may also be given calcium supplements.
Can calcium gluconate be given to children and in what form should it be given? Quite often, this question is asked by parents to local pediatricians. A simple and inexpensive tool has proven itself exclusively on the positive side. For the treatment of calcium deficiency inbabies of various age categories and other ailments are mainly prescribed calcium gluconate tablets.
Plain white pills are free of sugar, flavorings and colorings, which is a significant advantage. In this form, the drug can be given even to babies prone to allergic reactions and with high blood sugar.
Calcium gluconate: instructions for use
For children, the dosage of the medicine should be selected by a doctor. Usually, experts recommend giving 500 mg of the active substance three times a day to babies in the first year of life. The tablet is pre-ground into powder and stirred in a small amount of formula or breast milk.
Children from one to four years of age are prescribed calcium gluconate at a dosage of 1 g at a time. 3 g of the active substance (6 tablets) should be taken per day. From the age of 5, the drug can be given to a child in the amount of 6-10 tablets per day. A more accurate dosage should be chosen by a specialist, taking into account the condition of the baby and his need for a trace element.
Children in elementary grades are recommended to take 4 tablets at least twice a day for calcium gluconate.
Calcium gluconate for children under one year old
Komarovsky Oleg Evgenievich is a well-known pediatrician, whose advice many parents listen to. The doctor claims that the main reason for calcium deficiency in the body of a child lies in the lack of micronutrient intake along with food and malabsorption in the intestines.
Whenallergic diseases, rickets, blood clotting disorders, skin pathologies, a well-known pediatrician recommends giving calcium gluconate tablets to babies. Komarovsky also advises prescribing the drug with a tendency to dermatitis, muscle weakness, and increased vascular permeability. The medicine will bring significant benefits in the treatment of colds.
Calcium gluconate for allergies
One of the effects that the drug has is to reduce the production of histamine - the substance responsible for the occurrence of an allergic reaction. Scientists have found that a lack of calcium in the body leads to an abnormal reaction of the immune system. For children, this problem is especially relevant at the present time.
Calcium gluconate will help smooth out the symptoms of an allergic reaction. The instruction (the drug is absolutely safe for children) says that the medicine will help to quickly remove toxins from the body, strengthen blood vessels. Most often, the drug is used in the form of tablets. However, in some cases, intravenous administration of the solution is indicated.
The drug is effective for such manifestations of an allergic reaction as urticaria, angioedema, dermatitis, itching of the skin. In some cases, it is prescribed in combination with other medicines.
For more than one generation of doctors, the use of calcium gluconate has been practiced to combat the symptoms of allergic reactions. Calcium s alt, which is used as an active ingredient, is well absorbed from the intestines andabsorbed into the blood. The maximum concentration of the active ingredient is fixed 1.5-2 hours after taking the medicine.
Contraindications for use
Calcium gluconate can be given to children and adult patients who do not have a history of certain contraindications. In pediatric practice, the drug is generally used only after consultation with the attending physician. It is forbidden to use calcium gluconate for treatment in the presence of the following pathologies:
- intolerance to substances in the composition of the medication;
- hypercoagulation;
- sarcoidosis;
- hypercalciuria;
- renal failure (severe);
- vascular atherosclerosis;
- hypercalcemia;
- calcium urolithiasis.
Is it possible to give calcium gluconate to children if the instructions have an age limit? Pediatricians claim that if the dosage and treatment regimen are followed, the medication will only benefit the child.
Application features
For better absorption of the active ingredient, it is recommended to take calcium gluconate before meals or 2 hours after meals. Tablets should be chewed or crushed into powder and washed down with water. Babies are advised to give the drug along with a small amount of milk.
It is forbidden to take calcium supplements and iron-containing medicines at the same time. The minimum time interval between taking these drugs is 2 hours. In combination with tetracycline antibioticsinsoluble complexes will form.
Side effects
Despite being safe and effective, the drug is still a pharmaceutical product and may cause some side effects. You should familiarize yourself with these phenomena, described in the instructions, before taking calcium gluconate. It is advisable for children to give the minimum dose of the drug at the beginning of therapy and after a while evaluate the reaction of the body.
Prolonged treatment with the drug or constant overdosing can provoke the development of the following adverse events:
- constipation;
- vomiting, nausea;
- arterial hypertension;
- kidney stone disease;
- polyuria;
- mental disorders;
- muscle weakness;
- fatigue, irritability;
- bradycardia;
- loss of consciousness;
- hypercalcemia.
Patient testimonials
Calcium gluconate is one of the few drugs that, despite the low cost, have a powerful therapeutic effect. The drug is used to treat a variety of pathological conditions. Pediatricians prescribe calcium gluconate to children who are deficient in this trace element, suffering from rickets or frequent allergy attacks. The most commonly used remedy is in the form of tablets.
