Staphylococcus in newborns is a disease whose bacterium has a spherical shape. It is localized on the body, but when it enters the body causes pathological processes. Since not all drugs are allowed for infants, it is quite difficult to fight the disease.
Causes
First of all, the cause of staphylococcus in newborns is weakened immunity after birth. After birth, the baby immediately tries to adapt to the environment, and various bacteria begin to colonize his body.
Most of this disease in conditions of weakened immunity affects children who were born prematurely, or if the birth was through Caesarean section.
In children born prematurely, immunity is always weakened, so there are great risks of infection. Incorrect child care and non-compliance with hygiene rules contribute to staphylococcus disease.
Another reason is direct infection from mother to child. In this case, there are several ways: when passing through the birth canal of the mother, in the presence of pathologies of pregnancy, through the mother’s breast milk, including due to non-compliance with hygiene rules. A mother may be infected with the infection by contacting her baby in any way that you can pass it on to him.
Staphylococcus a child can become infected in the hospital and from medical personnel. Infection with such an infection contributes to the development of other diseases in the baby.
Symptoms
How to recognize that the baby’s body is infected with staphylococcus aureus? What are the symptoms of this disease? A baby cannot speak, so only his behavior can tell about his illness. The following are common symptoms of staphylococcus in a newborn:
- The infection enters the digestive tract of the child through the oral cavity and respiratory tract, affecting these organs.
- The ingestion of bacteria in the respiratory tract will provoke incessant rhinitis, impaired appetite.
- With damage to the oral cavity, we observe the presence of purulent plaque in the palate, tonsils and tongue, and an increase in temperature.
- The throat is inflamed.
- The baby refuses food, becomes moody, cries.
Infection with staphylococcus most often occurs through the alimentary canal, which is why staphylococcus in stool is very often found. In normal terms, it should not be there.
In the presence of bacteria in the feces, there is a chance of developing gastritis. Signs of staphylococcus in newborns in the intestine are as follows: vomiting, pallor of the skin, diarrhea, rashes of boils on the skin. Abdominal pain, dizziness, and weakness may be present. One of the serious complications of staphylococcus can be sepsis, when the infection spreads through the blood through the body. Sepsis often causes death. To avoid this outcome, it is necessary to prescribe treatment in a timely manner.
Kinds
Today, there are more than 25 types of staphylococcus. The most dangerous for humans are 4 varieties. In order to determine the treatment of the disease, it is necessary to establish what kind it belongs to, since the symptoms in children are different.
Saprophytic staphylococcus
The least rare in children and is considered the safest in comparison with other species. It affects the genitourinary system - the bladder, forming inflammation. Infection is formed on the skin and mucous membranes of the genitourinary system. The kidneys are also affected, forming inflammation. There are pains in the lower abdomen and frequent urination. This type can be detected by passing a clinical urine test. Most often manifested in the mother.
Epidermal staphylococcus
The lesion becomes the skin and mucous membranes. Children with a weakened immune system who are born prematurely and undergo surgical intervention are most susceptible to this kind. With a weakened body, blood poisoning is possible. A doctor can detect symptoms when examining a child.
Hemolytic staphylococcus
It is dangerous in that it affects the mucous membranes, which makes it very similar in symptoms to ARVI. It arouses inflammatory reactions, affects the urethra. Bacterial culture will help to detect this type of staphylococcus. Treatment with most antibiotics may be ineffective.
Staphylococcus aureus - a common disease
The most dangerous of all varieties is Staphylococcus aureus in newborns. It can provoke many other diseases with aggravating consequences. Symptoms can be detected within a few hours after infection. It causes inflammatory processes, lives and multiplies in various organs of the child, thereby causing other diseases. Infection can tolerate high and low temperatures. It produces the strongest poisons in the process of activity, such toxins can cause rashes on the skin as in burns. It remains resistant to ethyl alcohol, most antibiotics, hydrogen peroxide, but is sensitive to brilliant green. Treatment may not be prescribed if the infection is detected, but not active, that is, it does not appear in any way. Staphylococcus aureus, found in the blood, can cause serious consequences.
Staphylococcus is a bacterium that secretes a very strong and dangerous toxin that adversely affects the body. This bacterium is present in the body in small quantities and usually does not cause much harm, but with weakened immunity staphylococcus actively multiplies, which often leads to the appearance of a purulent-inflammatory process. In particular, Staphylococcus aureus can be dangerous for newborns, since in children the immunity is not yet fully formed, and it does not have the strength to withstand the aggressive effects of the microbe. Along with this, the child can develop quite dangerous pathologies, even the most severe, for example, meningitis or sepsis.
Staphylococcus aureus is known to be a nosocomial infection in most cases, so babies can become infected by it from their mother, maternity hospital staff, or contaminated items that have not been properly sterilized.
Diagnostics
Diagnosis of staphylococcus in newborns is carried out in case of revealing the symptoms of this disease. Mother and baby are tested by laboratory bacteriological diagnostics. The material for the study in the mother is breast milk, expressed from each breast, and the baby takes biomaterial depending on the onset of symptoms:
- If there are symptoms of staphylococcus in a newborn, similar to SARS, take a scraping from the throat and nose.
- If dysbacteriosis or symptoms of intestinal infections appear, feces are passed on to the study.
- If rashes appear on the skin of the baby, then scraping is collected from the wounds of the child.
- A blood test is performed to establish the intensity of the inflammatory process. Testing determines the culture and type of bacteria that infect a child’s body.
Carrying out these studies will help to understand at what stage the infection is and what methods to treat the infected. Additional studies may be required to prescribe the most effective treatment. If a positive result is detected, treatment is prescribed to both the mother and the child.
Fecal infection
Staphylococci in newborns in feces were identified at the end of the 19th century. They are able to gather in groups, creating a picture in the form of a bunch of grapes. Staphylococci can cause many diseases, not only in animals, but also in humans. Staph bacteria can be found on any person on earth. Since it belongs to opportunistic microbes, it is not harmful to a healthy person in a small amount. But if the child clearly shows signs of staph infection, such as fever, digestive upset, diarrhea, vomiting, then you need to see a doctor.
The research methodology is the selection of material for shipment to the laboratory. As a diagnosed material, a smear or feces can be used. If, against the background of exceeding the norm of the number of staphylococcal colonies in the feces, there are signs of intoxication, it is mandatory to carry out a set of medical procedures prescribed by the doctor, and if the number of staphylococcal colonies in the feces is within the normal range, then a number of medical procedures are necessary to strengthen the child’s immunity. In the treatment of children, in most cases, doctors prescribe antibiotic-based drugs from a number of penicillins or cephalosporins.
Drug treatment
Staph infection is most common in children. She is in first place among infectious diseases. Most often, the infection is found in the respiratory tract, in the digestive system, in the intestines, and also manifests itself on the skin. Staphylococcus bacteria can be detected only through analysis of feces, blood, and in certain areas of the skin of the capture - smear or scraping. An accurate diagnosis and variety can only be determined by a specialist. He will determine the symptoms and treatment of staphylococcus in newborns.
If the infection is found on the surface of the skin (wounds, abscesses, etc.) or in the nose, then the wounds are most often treated with ordinary greens, Vishnevsky ointment, it is also possible to treat with hydrogen peroxide.
If staphylococcus is found in the nose or mouth, rinse and rinse can be used.
As for antibiotics, penicillin-based drugs are prescribed. You should also take vitamins and various trace elements for a good metabolism. Immunoglobulins are also taken to restore the functions of the body, and bacteriophages.
Alternative methods of treatment
Often, for the treatment of staphylococcus, folk methods are used:
- To treat the affected skin, a decoction of the string is used: 500 g of dry grass of the string must be filled with 2 liters of boiling water and boiled for 15 minutes. After this, the broth is left for half an hour, filtered and added to the bath before bathing.
- The use of a garlic compress is also effective: 50 g of finely chopped garlic is poured into a glass of warm water and infused for 2 hours. Then, in the resulting infusion, a napkin is moistened and applied for an hour to the desired area of the skin.
- Staphylococcus aureus is well treated with decoction of meadowsweet flowers of calamus root, chamomile, dill, oregano and cyanosis, leaves of fireweed and mint, hop cones. For cooking, take 2 tbsp. l all ingredients and mixed with 1 liter of water. The mixture is infused for about 10 hours, after which it is filtered and taken three times a day, 100 ml before meals.
Prevention
For the prevention of staphylococcus in a newborn, the photos of which are posted above, it is necessary to let the baby immediately begin contact with her mother. For this, attachment to the chest in the first couple of minutes from birth, joint stay in the ward is recommended. It is also not recommended to stay in the maternity hospital for longer than three days.
It is especially important to observe the personal hygiene of the newborn.