How to restore a baby after antibiotics - You Are My Child
26.07.2019
Unfortunately, even such small babies sometimes have to be given antibiotics. Their use, in turn, causes undesirable consequences. Therefore, they should be given only according to the prescription, but even with such a scrupulous approach, the effect on the body is inevitable. And it needs to be minimized in order to help the baby survive such an intervention as painlessly as possible.
And for this it is worth arming yourself with some knowledge, and the article given here can help with this. From it you will learn the following information:
- what are antibacterial drugs;
- what consequences may occur after taking them;
- what is dysbiosis caused by taking antibiotics and how does it manifest itself?
- How does thrush caused by taking these drugs manifest?
- what set of measures is designed to counter possible complications;
- how drug therapy is used - what stages it consists of;
- and much more.
Unfortunately, even such small babies sometimes have to be given antibiotics. Their use, in turn, causes undesirable consequences. Therefore, they should be given only according to the prescription, but even with such a scrupulous approach, the effect on the body is inevitable. And it needs to be minimized in order to help the baby survive such an intervention as painlessly as possible.
And for this it is worth arming yourself with some knowledge, and the article given here can help with this. From it you will learn the following information:
- what are antibacterial drugs;
- what consequences may occur after taking them;
- what is dysbiosis caused by taking antibiotics and how does it manifest itself?
- How does thrush caused by taking these drugs manifest?
- what set of measures is designed to counter possible complications;
- how drug therapy is used - what stages it consists of;
- and much more.
For a more complete and convenient perception of information, the text content of the article is supplemented with video materials.
Dysbacteriosis is a relative concept and is expressed in an imbalance between microorganisms. This condition is not an independent disease, but serves as an indicator of trouble in the body. May manifest as diarrhea or constipation in infants after antibiotics.
In addition to stool disorders, intestinal dysbiosis is attributed to such manifestations as:
- Greens, mucus and streaks of blood in the stool;
- Stomach ache;
- Flatulence and seething;
- Dry skin;
- Decreased or lack of appetite;
- Thrush;
- Frequent colds;
- Regurgitation, vomiting;
- Allergic manifestations;
- Loss of body weight;
- Dental caries.
Intestinal dysbiosis is a common problem that worries not only children, but also parents. It is interesting to note that such a pathology does not exist abroad. It is believed that the balance of intestinal flora should be restored on its own.
However, this problem exists in pediatrics. And not a single caring parent will remain indifferent to the fact that the baby’s stomach hurts after antibiotics or other alarming symptoms arise.
Thrush in a baby after antibiotics
In addition to intestinal dysfunction, thrush often occurs after using antibacterial agents, which can affect the skin and mucous membranes.
By analogy with the intestinal microflora, an imbalance occurs in the ratio of microbes. In this case, under the influence of the antibiotic, bacteria that compete with fungi die, and active reproduction of fungi occurs. The causative agent of thrush, which most often causes damage to the skin and mucous membranes, is the commonplace Candida albicans.
Symptoms indicating that your baby has thrush are as follows:
- White, dense coating on the tongue and mucous membrane of the inner surface of the cheeks;
- Stomatitis, manifested by the formation of bright red ulcers on the oral mucosa, with scalloped edges;
- Refusal to eat and drink;
- On the skin, most often between the buttocks and in the groin area, there is the formation of redness, against which erosions with uneven, undermined edges are formed, with a tendency to merge; they may have a white coating;
- Girls may experience itching and redness of the vulva, and cheesy vaginal discharge.
Candidiasis, especially in weakened children, can spread throughout the body, causing damage to various organs. Fungal meningitis and encephalitis are dangerous for the baby. Therefore, thrush in a child cannot be ignored.
How to help a child after antibiotics?
When dysbiosis occurs in infants after antibiotics, its treatment consists of a whole range of restorative measures. One of the key points is organizing proper nutrition.
If possible, breastfeeding should be maintained for as long as possible. Mother's milk is rich in nutrients, microelements and vitamins, immune-active cells and enzymes, but also lactobacilli, which can restore normal intestinal microflora.
When artificial feeding, high-quality adapted milk formulas enriched with prebiotics should be used. It is important to use fermented milk mixtures for constipation.
New complementary foods should be introduced with great caution. If the process is severe, it is better to temporarily interrupt the baby’s introduction to new dishes. Acidophilus, biolact and kefir will be useful for dysbacteriosis.
Drug therapy takes place in two stages. At the first stage, the reproduction of opportunistic flora is suppressed. In the second, the normal ratio of bacteria is restored. For these purposes the following is used:
- Probiotics - medications containing strains of normal intestinal bacteria (Linex, Bifiform, Lactobacterin) help restore bifidobacteria and lactobacilli;
- Prebiotics - in order to stimulate their own flora, Hilak Forte is prescribed to infants after antibiotics, Normaze, Duphalac;
- Phage therapy - specialized viruses aimed at destroying pathogenic bacteria, is prescribed to infants after antibiotics if a strictly defined pathogenic microbe is sown;
- Enzyme preparations to improve the functioning of the digestive tract (Creon, Panzinorm);
- Enterosorbents for diarrhea, a short course of 3-5 days (Smecta, Enterosgel);
- For constipation - Microlax microenemas, glycerin suppositories;
- Carminatives are used for bloating (Espkmizan, Sab Simplex, Bobotik).
For oral candidiasis, treatment with soda solution is used, and Kiandid and Pimafucin cream and ointment are applied topically. In severe and protracted cases, medications based on Fluconazole are used.
Abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, green feces after antibiotics are common in infants. An integrated approach will help to cope with the manifestations of imbalance of intestinal microflora. And the appropriate medications should only be prescribed by a specialist.
Source: https://tymoe.ru/blog/kak-vosstanovit-grudnichka-posle-antibiotikov/
The effect of antibiotic therapy on immunity
The situation is similar with bacteria. Having a larger set of tools for destroying them than in the case of viruses, she is not able to remember every one. And it has absolutely nothing to oppose to worms or single-celled organisms like the malarial plasmodium.
Antibiotics are created by analogy with immune bodies, replacing them in cases of loss of functionality or decrease in volume in the blood/lymph. They even have a common drawback with immune defense - the lack of an antiviral effect (they mutate too often, neutralizing all efforts to develop remedies for them).
How to restore a child after antibiotics and strengthen his immunity?
For severe illnesses associated with bacterial infections, antibiotics cannot be avoided. But they themselves deal a blow to the body. Therefore, it is imperative to help the child recover after taking them.
What happens during antibiotic treatment?
The human body contains many beneficial microorganisms. They participate in metabolic processes, promote the breakdown and absorption of food, and inhibit the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria and fungi.
The harm from antibiotics lies in the fact that along with the harmful microorganisms that caused the disease, the really necessary ones are also destroyed. Of course, the medicine works and recovery occurs.
But the body will certainly let you know that not everything is okay with it.
- Because of antibiotics, colonies of bacteria, primarily beneficial ones, die off.
- The balance of microflora changes, and intestinal dysbiosis occurs.
- Problems with the gastrointestinal tract appear: constipation or diarrhea, vomiting, poor digestibility of food.
- Allergic reactions and manifestations of fungal diseases are possible.
- Immunity decreases.
How does dysbacteriosis manifest itself?
The most common and most noticeable reaction is intestinal dysbiosis. It is its normal operation that needs to be restored. After all, this is where most of the beneficial microorganisms that help the digestion process are concentrated.
Even adults are sensitive to changes in microflora, let alone children. They experience abdominal discomfort, flatulence and bloating. The food cannot be completely digested, and the remaining particles rot.
Then they are either rapidly excreted, causing the child to suffer from diarrhea, or they become denser, and constipation occurs.
Both conditions are quite dangerous for the baby. With diarrhea, there is a risk of dehydration. With prolonged constipation, toxins enter the bloodstream and poison the body. But even if there are no such obvious manifestations, an insufficient number of the necessary bacteria will lead to a decrease in immunity. And the baby will not get out of colds.
Useful: A pediatrician talks about massage for infants
Allergic reactions are also possible. Due to the lack of bacteria that helped break down food, proteins will be absorbed from the intestines into the blood almost unchanged. The child’s body may perceive them as foreign and begin to fight them, as a result of which the baby will develop a rash.
How to restore intestinal microflora?
Since the main problem after taking antibiotics is a violation of the microflora, this is what needs to be dealt with. If the baby is still breastfed, then you should feed him on demand.
Mother's milk helps populate the intestines with beneficial bacteria. Older children should be given kefir and other fermented milk products.
It is unlikely that they will cope with the situation on their own, but they will help create a suitable environment for normalizing intestinal function.
To restore the population of the necessary microorganisms, you need to drink probiotics. These preparations contain bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, in addition, they create a nutrient medium for them.
Doctors often recommend taking them along with antibiotics to support the body. But even when the treatment is completed, you should take a course of probiotics to achieve the greatest effect.
This will also help strengthen the immune system.
Advice
Diarrhea in children often causes irritation. To alleviate the baby’s condition, you should use zinc ointment or a special healing cream. And arrange air baths more often.
For babies, it is recommended to choose liquid products or powders that dissolve in water. After three years, you can give tablets. Your doctor should advise you which medications to buy.
Modern medicines contain several strains of microorganisms, as well as special additives to enhance their effectiveness.
Often prescribed are “Linex”, “Bifiform”, “Acipol”, “Bifidumbacterin”, “Laktovit forte”, “Enterozermina” and others.
What else might be needed to restore a child’s body?
Probiotics help restore microflora damaged by antibiotics, which will boost immunity. But this is a gradual process, and until then it may be necessary to treat candidiasis in a child, because there is not yet enough friendly bacteria that usually inhibit the proliferation of the fungus that causes this disease.
In children, it most often appears on the oral mucosa in the form of a white coating. It is treated with special medications. Stomatitis, painful sores in the mouth, is also common. Antiseptic rinses are needed. In both cases, you will have to follow a diet and avoid hot and spicy foods.
When the body returns to normal, the immune system will become stronger and these problems will go away.
Useful: Treatment and prevention of conjunctivitis in children under one year of age
Due to malfunctions of the digestive system, food is poorly digested, and the baby receives insufficient amounts of nutrients. In addition, friendly bacteria are involved in the synthesis of certain vitamins.
As a result, vitamin deficiency may develop. Therefore, it is important to provide your child with adequate nutrition; he must eat vegetables and fruits. Sometimes it will be useful to take vitamins.
Especially if you have to recover from an illness in winter, when the choice of fresh vegetables is limited.
After taking antibiotics, the immune system is usually weakened. To strengthen it, you should create a favorable environment at home: the temperature and humidity should be comfortable, ventilation and wet cleaning should be carried out regularly.
We must try to protect the child from stress, because a harmonious environment promotes recovery. In addition to vitamin complexes, sometimes it makes sense to drink products to increase the body’s protective properties: for example, echinacea or propolis tincture.
But, like any drugs, they must be prescribed by a doctor.
Manifestations of dysbiosis, such as constipation or diarrhea, will disappear after taking probiotics, when the intestines are repopulated with beneficial bacteria. But the child’s condition must be monitored. To prevent dehydration due to diarrhea, it is necessary to constantly give your baby something to drink. It’s good if it’s Regidron, but any other liquid will do. The main thing is that there is a lot of it.
It will take time for your baby to recover after taking antibiotics. The process may take more than one week. This is influenced by the initial state of the child’s body, the severity of the disease, and the duration of the course of treatment.
But if you follow all the doctor’s orders, take probiotics and watch your diet, your intestines will soon begin to function normally. The little one will feel better.
In this way, you will be able to increase your immunity, which will work in full force.
Source: https://agushkin.ru/zdorove/kak-vosstanovit-rebenka-posle-antibiotikov.html
Why does the immune system weaken?
Antibiotics do not have mechanisms of interaction with immune agents or the organs that synthesize them. It is incorrect to talk about a decrease in the body’s resistance after taking them. The need for their prescription already indicates that the patient’s immunity has weakened before the start of their course, without any connection with it.
But local protection of a number of organs is based on interaction with bacteria that have entered into symbiosis with the body. Antibiotics do not distinguish symbiotic microflora from foreign ones, and its death reduces and disrupts the functioning of organs dependent on it.
Plus, taking antibiotics, like any other, can cause complications on the liver. And in this case, it filters the blood worse and does not produce some of the factors necessary for the protection to work (proteins,). In the intestines “cleansed” of lacto- and bifidobacteria by them, digestive processes are also disrupted. As a result, many food components stop entering the blood. Immunity after taking antibiotics decreases first at the local level, and only then at the general level.
How to restore a child’s microflora after antibiotics
Antibiotics have become a part of our lives. For any reason, a person tries to put a life-saving pill in his mouth. And if a child gets sick, then it is important for the parent to quickly destroy all pathogenic viruses and bacteria that have entered his body.
And many adults don't realize that viral infections can't be cured with antibiotics. And potent drugs deprive the child’s body of beneficial bacteria, the action of which is aimed at protecting it.
After taking antibiotics, short or long, it is important to restore the child’s microflora as quickly as possible.
What is dysbiosis, how does it manifest itself?
The action of antibiotics is aimed not only at destroying pathogenic microbes. Those microorganisms that help the intestines process food and completely absorb it also fall under the sword of Damocles.
The child begins to suffer from the fact that undigested residues are deposited in the depths of the intestines and rot. As a result of this, rumbling occurs in the abdomen, and heaviness is felt due to the accumulation of a large amount of gases. Children suffer from diarrhea or constipation.
As a result, toxic substances are released into the blood. The body rids itself of them through vomiting.
The mucous membranes of the nasopharynx, middle ear, larynx, and genitals also serve as habitats for beneficial bacteria that protect against infections. After treatment with antibiotics, sluggish dysbacteriosis reduces the child’s immunity, hence constant colds with cough and elevated body temperature.
An organism deprived of beneficial microorganisms cannot fight pathogenic bacteria and fungi. If chronic forms of runny nose and bronchitis become your baby’s companion, then you need to pay attention to the state of his microflora. To cope with serious inflammation of the lungs and bronchi, you need not only antibiotics, but also probiotics.
They will help strengthen the child’s body’s defenses and create a barrier to the penetration of inflammation and infections.
Frequent complications of antibacterial treatment
Among the consequences of antibiotic treatment are:
- stomatitis - inflammation of the oral cavity, in which the mucous membrane swells and wounds appear on it;
- thrush, or candidiasis, with a white coating on the oral mucosa;
- allergic reactions in the form of rash, redness throughout the body;
- general weakening of the immune system, leading to an increase in colds;
- intestinal infections accompanied by signs of poisoning - vomiting, diarrhea, high fever;
- vitamin deficiency due to a lack of B vitamins and vitamin K;
- frequent constipation, leading to cholecystitis, biliary dyskinesia.
Having discovered symptoms of the consequences of antibacterial therapy, parents need to think about how to restore the intestinal microflora after antibiotics to the child. It is best to consult a pediatrician on this issue.
Methods for restoring microflora in children
When starting to treat a child with antibiotics, you must immediately take care of maintaining the normal functions of the digestive tract.
For children under one year old, only breastfeeding is left, eliminating any types of complementary foods. This diet must be continued after treatment until the intestines begin to function normally.
It is important to give an older child more fluids by reviewing the diet. Focus on small portions of food, excluding excessively fatty foods and fried foods from the menu. Preference is given to products prepared by steaming, boiling and stewing.
To ensure that food is absorbed faster and completely, the child is allowed to run around and play with peers.
Restoration of microflora after antibiotics occurs in different ways:
- Among medications, preference is given to probiotics. They are based on beneficial bacteria that create a barrier to infection. Medicines help produce vitamin K, biotin, and folic acid. Their effectiveness is high in the treatment of candidiasis, dysbiosis, allergies, gastritis, and intestinal infections.
- The use of yogurt made from natural milk normalizes the functioning of the digestive tract. You need to give a fermented milk drink once a week. Before this, it is necessary to check the child’s body’s reaction to the product.
- Aloe leaf puree will restore intestinal health. Honey is added to the crushed leaves of the plant. Children can be given a teaspoon of the drug after breakfast.
- Replenishment of the supply of vitamins occurs within a month after antibacterial therapy. A complex of vitamins B, C, A, and E is prescribed. The child’s body especially needs substances such as calcium and selenium.
- Organizing proper nutrition for a child will play a positive role in normalizing microflora. Exclusions from the diet require foods with large amounts of preservatives and flavor enhancers. You should not give children mayonnaise, carbonated drinks, or confectionery products made with white flour and margarine. The diet should include cottage cheese, whole grain porridge, lean meat, and fish. It is beneficial to drink tea with honey, not sugar.
Dysbacteriosis can be treated only under the supervision of a specialist, based on his advice.
Probiotics for children
The very name of the group of biologically active drugs reflects their purpose - for life.
The best medicine for a baby is mother's milk - a source of lacto- and bifidobacteria. For those who are bottle-fed, milk formulas enriched with beneficial bacteria are produced. They will help restore the number of beneficial microorganisms after antibacterial therapy.
To avoid problems with stool, flatulence, intestinal colic, and skin rashes, you need to know what to give your child after antibiotics for the microflora.
The best probiotic is Linex. One gram of powder contains a mixture of biomass of living lactic acid bacteria. Their importance for biochemical processes in a child’s body is great. Take the capsule with the medicine after meals with a small amount of water.
The drug is prescribed from newborn age, when it is enough to take one capsule three times a day. From two years of age it is possible to double the dose.
For small patients, for convenience, pour the powder from the capsule into a spoon, mixing it with baby food, juice, boiled, but not hot water. The duration of therapy depends on the individual characteristics of the child and the severity of dysbacteriosis.
Take Linex with caution and after consultation with a doctor if the child suffers from prolonged diarrhea and his body temperature is above 38 degrees.
For children of the first and second year of life, Liveo Baby is recommended. Fifteen drops of the active food supplement are placed into the child’s mouth during meals or mixed with food. The duration of treatment is a week.
An additional source of bifidobacteria is Bivestin, which is produced in the form of a milk emulsion. The drug is taken half an hour before or after meals using a plastic straw. The dosage for children from one year to six years is calculated starting from one milliliter, adding one every year. You can dilute the solution with juice or water, taken in a small amount.
Acidolac is an effective remedy whose action is aimed at restoring microflora after taking antibacterial drugs. The powder is dissolved in the proportion of one sachet per hundred milliliters of liquid - water, yogurt, milk. Use immediately after dilution. Start taking a probiotic during antibiotic therapy, continuing after its completion for two to three weeks.
Enterol is given in case of diarrhea as a consequence of taking antibiotics. It is indicated for children from one year of age. Prescribe a daily dose of one capsule twice a day for five days for children under three years of age, a week for older children.
All signs of dysbiosis, thrush, allergies, and intestinal dysfunction will go away on their own after the beneficial microflora is restored.
The use of probiotics should be supervised by medical professionals.
After antibiotics, how to restore a child’s microflora - video
Source: https://PosleVipiski.ru/fitoterapiya/posle-antibiotikov-kak-vosstanovit-mikrofloru-rebenku.html
Recovery
It is not difficult to avoid the need for a total “resuscitation” of the immune defense after antibiotics. For this purpose, it is enough to repopulate the duodenum with bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, not forgetting about restoring the microflora of the skin - especially the genital tract, as it is most susceptible to secondary sepsis. it is necessary to plan without regard to the last course of antibiotics, because their collapse was caused by some other factor.
Pharmacy drugs
It is wiser to start searching for the true cause of immunodeficiency by taking it. The defense system also needs certain substances. With modern production technologies, they are often absent from the diet, including primary ones, or are not produced in the body itself. And preparations containing them in finished form supply the immune system with everything it needs, “bypassing” nutritional deficiencies.
After a course of antibiotics, the digestive ability of the stomach and intestines is reduced. It is better to focus on soluble (better digestible) and universal (covering the maximum possible “gaps” in the composition of the diet, since their exact list is unknown to the patient):
- “Supradina” – 10 “effervescent” tablets. in a package and 21 elements in each of them. This composition does not include everything the body needs per day, but most of the nutrients are present. The cost of the drug ranges from 425 rubles;
- “Doppel Herze Active” is more affordable in price and varied in composition. 15 “fizzy drinks” in a tube cost about 265 rubles. and contain 27 nutritional elements.
- – “Laktobacterin”, “Linex”, “Acipol”, “Hilak”, “Bifiform”, including their variants with the prefix “Forte”, orally, daily, for 1 week;
- yeast masks – for face and body, every other day, for 2 weeks;
- fermented milk products – preferably natural, internally and as applications for the face/body skin. You should drink/eat them in a volume of at least 0.5 liters or 300 g (if it is cottage cheese/cheese) per day for 2 weeks. As masks, they need to be applied only twice a week, alternating with yeast ones, for the same 2 weeks;
- vaginal - only for (rectally not used in men), like "Gynoflora E", "Ecofemina Floravag" or the same "Bifidumbacterin". The course is 7-10 days, 1-2 suppositories/day;
- intimate hygiene products - for both sexes, such as Lactacyd, Tamipul, Nanocare or products from any well-known manufacturer of personal hygiene products marked “Intimate”. They must be used for at least 1 month.
dietary supplements
They help increase protection by stimulating all its parts at the same time. The most relevant case for taking them is immunodeficiency that occurred even before the start of antibiotic treatment, for an unrelated reason. They are also good as an addition to measures to restore the local microflora.
- Immunale. The simplest, exclusively plant-based of the 6 highlands of Tibet. It is taken in drops, 8 pieces, once a day, for 1 month.
- "Immunetika". vegetable, mineral and animal plus 3 bee products, intended for oral administration, 10 drops each. no more than 4 times in 24 hours, half an hour before meals. Therapy is carried out for 20 days.
- " ". In many ways similar to the previous one (except for products from the apiary), the drug is for dosing in drops in the morning and evening, 10 drops each, for 2 weeks.
- Mega Immunity. Adapted to a strong version of the previous remedy, expanded with the components of algo- and apitherapy. Its course is 5 drops. in 2 doses per day, for half a month.
- "Healthy." Apielixir based on sea buckthorn and cedar, enriched with milk thistle extract and cedar resin. Indicated for taking 1 measuring spoon, in the morning, for a third of the month.
Folk remedies
Plants and natural honey are most widely used in witchcraft. Most are suitable for the treatment of immunodeficiencies in children, adults of fertile age, or a whole range of patients. And bases made from hellebore, wild rosemary, aconite, hemlock, bird cherry, and oak bark are strictly contraindicated for them. Among the most versatile options:
- chamomile and nettle - 1 tbsp each, plus 1 tsp. sage Separate 1 tbsp. l. Brew the resulting mixture with 1 cup of boiling water for 2 hours in a thermos. Strain and drink, dividing into 2 portions and diluting each with water to the initial volume, with honey to taste. Take the product 2 times a day for 1 week;
- mint – 1 tsp, brewed for 1 hour with a glass of boiling water. Then you need to strain it, grate it and add it to the clove, 0.5 dess. l. fresh juice and 1 tsp. honey Drink this remedy once a day, at night, for 2 weeks;
- black tea – 1 tsp. tea leaves, as well as 4 pcs. Mix chopped fresh lingonberries, blackberries and raspberries and brew 250 ml of boiling water for 15 minutes. Then strain and drink with honey to taste.
How to restore a baby after antibiotics
There are often situations when a baby gets sick and you can’t do without antibiotics. These drugs are effective and help defeat dangerous bacteria.
But treatment should be carried out strictly according to the indications and prescription of the pediatrician. But even if everything is done wisely, sometimes unpleasant consequences cannot be avoided.
How can we help a small organism recover from antibiotics? We will try to answer this question in this article.
Consequences of antibiotic treatment
Antibacterial drugs are a group of drugs aimed at destroying bacteria.
A large group of antibiotics has a wide spectrum of action and when treated with them, not only harmful pathogenic microbes suffer, but also the beneficial microflora of the intestines, mouth, vagina, and skin. In this case, after a course of antibiotic therapy, dysbacteriosis and thrush may occur.
The body of any person, including infants, is in close interaction with microorganisms that are constantly present on the skin and mucous membranes.
In a normal state, microbes are in balance. When any pathological condition occurs, this balance is disrupted and conditionally pathogenic flora begins to predominate, which causes various symptoms of trouble.
The body of an infant, due to its immaturity, is more susceptible to adverse factors. Therefore, the prescription of antibiotics at this age should be clearly justified and necessary.
Dysbacteriosis after antibiotics
Dysbacteriosis is a relative concept and is expressed in an imbalance between microorganisms. This condition is not an independent disease, but serves as an indicator of trouble in the body. May manifest as diarrhea or constipation in infants after antibiotics.
In addition to stool disorders, intestinal dysbiosis is attributed to such manifestations as:
- Greens, mucus and streaks of blood in the stool;
- Stomach ache;
- Flatulence and seething;
- Dry skin;
- Decreased or lack of appetite;
- Thrush;
- Frequent colds;
- Regurgitation, vomiting;
- Allergic manifestations;
- Loss of body weight;
- Dental caries.
Intestinal dysbiosis is a common problem that worries not only children, but also parents. It is interesting to note that such a pathology does not exist abroad. It is believed that the balance of intestinal flora should be restored on its own.
However, this problem exists in pediatrics. And not a single caring parent will remain indifferent to the fact that the baby’s stomach hurts after antibiotics or other alarming symptoms arise.
Prevention
With all the abundance of options after antibiotic therapy, the best strategy is not to start existing infections - so that it simply doesn’t come to the point of taking them. At their initial stage (except for infections with anaerobes - the culprits of gangrene), local applications of light antiseptics help:
- hydrogen peroxide;
- chlorhexidine;
- alcohol solution of iodine, salicylic acid or camphor.
Internal infections can also be treated with natural antibiotics - which, unlike pharmaceutical ones, are safe for microflora throughout the body. We are talking about moderately poisonous herbs - celandine, oak bark, St. John's wort, wormwood. They need to be brewed strongly (1 heaped tbsp per 250 ml of water), and taken 1 tbsp. l., before meals, 4 times a day, at least a week.
Antibiotics are one of the best inventions of mankind in the 20th century. It was thanks to these semi-synthetic substances that it was possible to facilitate the treatment of many diseases and sharply reduce the mortality rate of the population, especially during periods of epidemics. However, there is another side to this coin. It is known that all antibiotics, while destroying harmful pathogenic flora, also kill beneficial microorganisms living in our intestines, release toxins that are difficult for the liver to cope with, and sharply reduce the body’s defenses. After such a course of treatment, a person becomes vulnerable and falls ill again when faced with the slightest infection.
Unfortunately, antibiotics are not only found in medicines intended for humans. Unscrupulous meat and poultry producers add antibiotics to animal feed to make them grow faster. Through meat, unwanted medications enter the human body. Therefore, antibiotics are a last resort measure of treatment; the decision to take them should only be made by a doctor. It is necessary to strictly follow the dosage prescribed by the doctor, even if the instructions indicate other doses. At the same time, do not neglect antibiotics if necessary. You just need to know the algorithm of actions to restore immunity after treatment.
How to restore intestinal microflora after antibiotics in a child
How to restore intestinal microflora after taking antibiotics in a child? Problems with the intestines are due to the fact that drugs with antibacterial activity destroy not only pathogenic, but also beneficial flora. How to eliminate imbalances in the body and normalize its functioning?
The effect of antibiotics on intestinal flora
The child’s condition must be monitored; when taking antibacterial drugs, it may worsen not because of the development and progress of the disease, but because of the harmful effects of antibiotics on the microflora.
Attention! Means of this type affect all bacteria, destroying pathogenic and beneficial microorganisms.
For this reason, after antibiotics, children often experience:
- Serious disturbances in the functioning of the digestive tract.
- Diarrhea, vomiting and significant loss of appetite may be followed by nausea.
The relationship between intestinal function and immunity is not disputed by doctors. For this reason, during the period of treatment and antibacterial therapy, it is so important to monitor the functioning of the digestive system.
It is important to restore a child’s body after antibiotic therapy for several reasons:
- the child will recover from the illness faster;
- overcome the consequences of the disease;
- will be able to avoid the development of complications.
It is believed that during the recovery period the body is extremely vulnerable, susceptible to re-infection and practically “unarmed” against pathogenic microorganisms. To prevent the disease from becoming chronic, it is important to quickly restore the child and normalize the functioning of his body.
Why do problems with microflora appear or why antibiotics are dangerous:
- They affect beneficial bacteria, leading to their mass death, which provokes disruption of the digestive process.
- The body does not receive the required amount of nutrients, vitamins and microelements, which means that recovery is delayed.
- The drugs are toxic and therefore affect the functioning of the liver, kidneys and other vital organs. To reduce the toxicity of treatment and avoid poisoning, it is necessary to normalize the functioning of the body.
Help: If the recovery period is prolonged, in addition to the main signs of illness, the child will be bothered by symptoms of intoxication: nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite.
Intoxication is caused not only by pathogenic bacteria, but also by their massive death. Accelerating metabolism and the processes of removing toxins from the child’s body will help correct the situation.
Ways to restore the intestines
There are several options for therapy that is considered restorative. It is carried out in order to normalize the functioning of the body. Treatment can be done in several ways:
- At the same time, along with antibiotics, give drugs for the intestines that are restorative in nature. Taking it together is considered effective, but there are several “buts” that can affect recovery.
- In pediatric therapy, it is permissible to use drugs that improve the functioning of the digestive system, and treatment begins after discontinuation of tablets with antibacterial activity.
The development of dysbiosis is considered the most common complication that occurs after starting to take antibacterial agents. This can be avoided by taking a number of medications together. In addition to antibiotics, the child is given medications that significantly reduce the toxicity of treatment. This therapy is the most effective.
Attention! If you give your baby microflora-restoring drugs before the first signs of diarrhea appear, you can avoid its development or significantly reduce the severity of unpleasant symptoms.
But in certain cases this is impossible. That is, it is not possible to start taking medications together. Then they begin to restore the microflora after completing the course of antibiotic therapy.
If the recovery period is prolonged, then the use of several drugs at the same time is required. Intestinal microflora needs a special, favorable environment.
How to restore intestinal microflora in a child after taking antibiotics
If we restore the intestinal microflora and eliminate dysbacteriosis. Then you will have to do this for at least 10 days. The most effective is an integrated approach, including:
- Taking medications of various types.
- Compliance with drinking regime.
- Following a diet, avoiding unhealthy foods.
Help: Antibacterial drugs often lead to a decrease in appetite, so food is given in small portions, but often, to facilitate its absorption.
There are a number of medications that can help help restore the body. In addition to specific medications, vitamins are also prescribed. The complexes are of a general strengthening nature and include the essential vitamins and microelements that the body needs during the recovery period.
Drinking enough water will help remove toxins from your body faster. The liquid should be warm, clean, and enter the body in a volume of 1.5-2 liters per day.
Diet is another way to increase the success of therapy; it involves avoiding harmful foods.
You will have to exclude from the diet:
- fatty foods, as well as dishes rich in carbohydrates;
- baked goods and baked goods made from refined flour with yeast;
- carbonated drinks with high sugar content;
- dishes that irritate the stomach and intestines, causing flatulence;
- products that have a laxative effect (prunes, beets, etc.)
Attention! A ban is imposed on all dishes that “load” the digestive organs and create pressure on the kidneys and liver.
The main diet is considered to be fruits, vegetables, lean meat, as well as fermented milk products rich in beneficial bacteria and microorganisms.
But you shouldn’t give milk to your child; restrictions also apply to desserts made from cottage cheese or yogurt; they will not benefit the body.
To normalize the functioning of the digestive organs, doctors recommend cooking compotes and jelly for your child.
If we are talking about a breastfed baby, then during the period of antibiotic therapy he is fed with mother’s milk. If the child eats formula, then the brand is not changed; it is recommended to give preference to fermented milk.
But you will have to wait a while with the introduction of complementary foods; you will have to refuse new food until the body has fully recovered.
What medications will help restore a child’s health after antibiotics?
When choosing medications that support intestinal microflora, pay attention to your doctor’s recommendations. Since there are several similar drugs, they are divided into classes:
- When the intestines are repopulated with beneficial bacteria, drugs such as Acipol, Bifidumbacterin, Linex are prescribed. These are probiotics, specific microorganisms that contribute to the normal digestion process.
- Prebiotics are medications that create a specific “environment” in the intestines that promotes the growth and reproduction of beneficial bacteria. At the same time, such drugs are not absorbed by the upper parts of the stomach.
A course of probiotics and prebiotics can be carried out simultaneously to increase the effectiveness of therapy. In this case, recovery occurs faster.
What else may be needed to restore the child’s body?
Even without specific therapy, the body will recover. But this process will help speed up:
- proper nutrition;
- taking vitamins;
- use of sorbents;
- positive emotions;
- normalization of sleep;
- moderate physical activity.
If within 2-4 weeks after stopping antibacterial drugs the child’s body cannot recover, despite all efforts, you need to consult a doctor. Since there is a risk of re-infection and the development of complications.
Source: https://proantibiotik.ru/detyam/vosstanovlenie-mikroflory-kishechnika-posle-priema-antibiotikov-u-rebenka
Treatment of dysbiosis
First you need to restore the intestinal microflora. Cottage cheese, yogurt, kefir, and lactovite will help populate the body with new bacteria. When buying fermented milk products in a store, pay attention to the shelf life. Those products whose shelf life exceeds 10 days do not contain bifidobacteria and lactobacilli. The highest content of microorganisms in kefir is in the first day, and this amount decreases every hour. It is very useful to drink a glass of fermented baked milk or kefir before going to bed. It’s also a good idea to drink fermented milk drinks in the morning on an empty stomach.
If you are intolerant to dairy products, take a course of pharmaceutical preparations containing pre- and probiotics (“Bifidumbacterin”, “Normobakt”, “Hilak Forte”, “Bifiform”, etc.) You should consult with your doctor about which drug is right for you doctor.
Traditional recipes to boost immunity
- Nut dessert: Take one glass of walnuts, raisins, prunes, dried apricots. Grind all the ingredients in a meat grinder, mix with the juice of one lemon and three tablespoons of liquid honey. This tasty and healthy mixture can be taken three to five times a day, one tablespoon.
- Vitamin drink: Pour two tablespoons of rose hips with half a liter of boiling water. Leave it overnight. In the morning, strain the infusion and take 2-3 tablespoons every three hours.
- Grated cranberries: Grind the cranberries in a meat grinder or grind them in a blender, add a little sugar or honey. The resulting mixture can be consumed as often as you want. It is very tasty to eat sugar cranberries with tea, instead of sweets.
- Herbal mixture: A tablespoon of St. John's wort, a teaspoon of tansy, a teaspoon of sage. The mixture is poured into a glass of boiling water and infused for two hours. Drink in small sips before each meal.
It is difficult to imagine modern pharmacy without antibacterial drugs. This is the basis for the treatment of many infectious diseases. Until now, people have a misconception that antibiotics are prescribed for any disease. There are often cases when people independently buy antibiotics for treatment, without understanding whether they are needed or not. But not everyone knows that after prolonged use, the body’s protective function is weakened.
How to restore immunity after antibiotics? What will help not reduce it during treatment? How to cope with the consequences of improper therapy in children and adults?
Medication-assisted recovery
In especially severe cases, nutrition alone is not enough. How to restore immunity after antibiotics using pharmaceutical drugs? First of all, the doctor usually prescribes immunoglobulin, which removes harmful bacteria from the body.
Substances Cytokines increase immunity by saturating the blood with antibodies and platelets. Ferons (Interferon, Anaferon, etc.) weaken the cells of viruses and infections. Finally, synthetic immunomodulators bind harmful microbes and effectively remove them.
Sports, sauna, healthy lifestyle
Another way to boost immunity, recommended by doctors, is to visit a bathhouse. High temperature will remove waste substances and toxins from the body and activate metabolic processes. Naturally, you don’t need to immediately become an avid steamer. There should be moderation in everything, so when visiting a bathhouse or sauna you should not stay in the steam room for more than 5-7 minutes. After the bath it is better to drink green tea, cranberry juice, compote. Under no circumstances should you drink alcohol! It will only worsen the harmful effects of antibiotics on health.
Exercise will help boost your immunity! A light warm-up in the morning, a walk of 1.5-2 kilometers in the afternoon or evening will significantly speed up the body’s recovery after illness. Regular visits to the pool will enhance the effect, strengthen the body, give vigor and good mood.
Compliance with the regimen is also important for recovery from illness. Try to go to bed before midnight. The duration of sleep should be at least eight to nine hours. Eat at the same time, distribute your daily loads wisely so as not to overwork. Adequate rest is the key to quick recovery after illness.
What you need to know for proper recovery
The minimum period for which immunity can be fully restored is two weeks, the maximum is several months (provided that all recommendations are properly followed). For the best effect, it is recommended to consult a competent doctor. It is quite possible that you will not need to take special medications to eliminate dysbiosis, but it will be enough to be treated with folk remedies. For example, kefir can effectively restore immunity by normalizing the balance of bacteria in the intestines.
Special immunomodulatory agents, including homeopathic ones, can have a stronger effect. However, taking them is not enough. We need to completely reconsider our lifestyle - diet, physical activity. What activities may benefit adults after antibiotic treatment? Here are some basic tips for changing your lifestyle during this difficult period:
- quit smoking and alcohol;
- play sports or engage in other physical activity;
- eat healthy food rich in vitamins and minerals;
- drink infusions of herbs that have a positive effect on the immune system (ginseng, echinacea, etc.);
- take medications as prescribed by your doctor;
- it is enough to be in the fresh air;
- If possible, you can visit the bathhouse - heat transfer plays an important role in removing toxins.
As you can see, these tips on how to boost immunity can be useful to anyone. After all, a sedentary lifestyle combined with eating junk food has never benefited anyone.
To strengthen your immune system after antibiotics most effectively, be sure to include in your menu foods containing vitamin C (citrus fruits, sauerkraut, rose hips, black currants), vitamin A (carrots, tomatoes) and vitamin B (buckwheat, mushrooms, cheese, whole grain bread ). Don't neglect greens and nuts - the minerals they contain can also strengthen weakened immunity.
As for drinking, the best option would be infusions of St. John's wort or chamomile, kefir, and other fermented milk products. They will effectively raise the body's defenses. Ginger, honey and garlic have a similar effect. Due to the way antibiotics affect the immune system, many people are forced to invent more and more new methods of restoring it.
Here is an example of an effective diet, which, according to immunological practice, is optimal to increase the immunity of an adult. Per day you need to consume 10-20 grams of vegetable and butter, 300 g of fish, meat or fermented milk, 200 g of wholemeal bread, 100 g of cereals and 500 g of vegetables and/or fruits. And, of course, drink a lot of clean water. Sticking to this diet for a long time is the best way to boost your immunity after antibiotics.