The human body has a complex structure of the 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, parents often turn to a specialist with a problem such as dystrophy in a child.
One of the problems is the earlier 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 years. There are several degrees of this ailment. All of them will be discussed in more detail in this article. The disease is more thoroughly examined by pediatrics. Dystrophy in children who observe not only the diet, but also sleep and wakefulness, should not be. This article will discuss what methods exist for the effective treatment of this ailment, as well as preventive measures.
What is dystrophy?
This term implies changes in a pathological nature. The latter, in turn, lead to cellular metabolic disorders.
As a result of improper metabolism, damage to part of the cells, intercellular substance of organs occurs.
Accordingly, after structural changes are observed in the body. As a rule, the main cause of dystrophy in a child is an improper diet or poor care for the baby.
It should be remembered that if some signs of this disease are detected, you should not fight the disease yourself. It is urgent to contact a specialist. The following article presents photos of dystrophy in children.
As a rule, most often this ailment occurs in babies who live on the African continent. This site is characterized by a small amount of food and not the best living conditions. Compared with the African continent, dystrophy in young children is practically not found in Europe. Its rate is 1.5%. Premature babies are also at risk.
The causes of the disease
If the doctor has made such a diagnosis as dystrophy in a child, it should be determined why it developed. 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 as a result of the presence of bad habits in a girl in a position, such as smoking or drinking alcohol.
During the bearing of the child, vitamins A and E, ascorbic and folic acid, magnesium and iodine must be supplied to the woman's body every day. For this reason, the specialist prescribes the appropriate drugs.
Also, the ailment may be due to placental dysfunction.
Violation of the child’s diet leads to muscular dystrophy. In children, this is observed when they consume only one breast milk.
As a result of infectious lesions of the gastrointestinal tract or ARVI, 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 claim that the cause of this ailment is the age of the woman in childbirth: too early or too late. But this has not been proven.
Therefore, with the normal course of pregnancy at any age, women should not have complications.
Pathology classification
There are several types or degrees of dystrophy in children.
Below will be described in detail about each of them. Consider them:
- Neuropathic. In this case, the total body weight does not decrease by more than 11%. Other signs of dystrophy in a child include impaired appetite, trouble sleeping, irritability, and frequent hot temper.
- Neurodystrophic. Here we are talking about primary anorexia. The body weight of a child with this type of ailment is already 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% from 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. There is a pronounced lag in physical development. Defects in psychomotor development are also present . In the body of these children are not enough large amounts of vitamins. They have completely no appetite. In addition, partial damage to brain areas is observed, and in addition, the development of the skeletal system is impaired in such babies.
Other signs of dystrophy in a child include skin problems, lowering blood pressure, tearfulness, constant nausea, diarrhea, or, conversely, constipation.
You should also pay attention to the body temperature of the child. With this pathology, it may be below normal.
There is also another classification of dystrophy in a child. Distinguish between congenital and acquired pathology. Thanks to this, a specialist can prescribe further treatment and talk about the consequences.
So, with hereditary dystrophy in children, CNS damage is observed. As a result of this, metabolic disorders occur. The latter refers to proteins, fats and carbohydrates. In this case, there is a high risk of death.
How is the diagnosis carried out?
In order to confirm or refute the diagnosis, it is necessary to conduct several research procedures. To begin with, the specialist conducts a general examination of the baby. By this is meant an assessment of the condition of the skin and muscle tone. In addition, the pediatrician examines the uniformity of the location of adipose tissue under the skin. After that, the heart rhythm is examined, as well as the body temperature of the child.
Why do I need a general blood test? In pediatrics with dystrophy in children, this element of the study is particularly informative. In particular, this can be said about the biochemical analysis of blood.
The presence of pathology is indicated by a decrease in the rate of digestive enzymes. Another symptom 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 in the analysis of the results of the study, then the pediatrician sends an ultrasound of the internal organs or an X-ray to confirm or refute the diagnosis.
What are the basics of therapy?
This pathology cannot be treated on its own. Be sure to consult a specialist.
In addition, it all depends on the degree of dystrophy in the child. Based on this, the specialist will prescribe the necessary and correct treatment, as well as select the right diet.
A bit of nutritional information
As a rule, in this situation, the specialist prescribes a special diet. It is referred to as anti-aging. Its essence is 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. The first element in the list is desirable to exclude. Since in the body of a baby with dystrophy, there are not 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 dystrophin gene. It is he who is responsible for this pathology and is responsible for its development. Changing the quality of 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 an accurate calculation of the norm of minerals and vitamins per day.
If the baby’s diet has a very large shortage of nutrients, they should be increased dramatically. 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 being done so that the child returns to normal. In addition, due to drug treatment, the baby should not have complications.
There are several types of this therapy.
So, the first of these is the oral administration of food enzymes. As a rule, they are prescribed immediately. In this case, the specialist prescribes such drugs as pancreatin together with calcium carbonate or pepsin with hydrochloric acid.
The second type of drug therapy is treatment with vitamin C and B. Doses of these beneficial substances in case of dystrophy in a child should be almost 6 times higher. Vitamins such as D, A are prescribed to the baby only if they are deficient.
In order to eliminate the problems associated with metabolism, a hormonal treatment method is used. Here we are talking about such medicines as Nerobol and Thyroidin.
In addition, in pediatrics, in children with dystrophy, donated blood, as well as γ-globulin, is introduced to stimulate the body. In addition, in this case, rectal suppositories called Apilak are also used.
With congenital dystrophy, damage to the central nervous system occurs. In order to prevent complications, the specialist prescribes glutamic acid and Cerebrolysin injections.
Parents should know that this pathology can develop due to the presence of stones in the gallbladder.
The treatment of dystrophy in babies is considered a complex and lengthy process. Therefore, parents should look after their child well, and also follow all the doctor’s instructions.
About complications
Can a child recover with this pathology? Everything will depend on the degree of complexity of dystrophy. If the ailment is acquired, then, following all the advice of a specialist, 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 using a symptomatic treatment method. With Duchenne myodystrophy, which is one of the most severe types of ailment, 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. Inhibition of the immune system of the baby’s body also occurs.
As a result of this, it is children who are diagnosed with dystrophy who are at a high risk of developing diseases such as pneumonia, otitis media, and SARS.
You should know that such complications should not be subject to the recommendations of a specialist.
About preventive measures
In order to avoid a congenital pathology, a future mother should lead a healthy lifestyle.
So, the basics of preventing dystrophy in children is to comply with several recommendations for girls in position. They must necessarily abandon excessive physical exertion, as well as avoid stress.
The diet of both the expectant mother and the mother who has already given birth must be correct. The latter refers to 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 available, it is necessary to undergo treatment first. In the presence of chronic diseases, you should constantly visit a specialist.
Expectant mothers are strictly forbidden to drink alcohol, as well as smoke. And there can be no talk of narcotic substances.
Preventive measures of the acquired form of pathology include feeding the baby with breast milk up to 1.5 years. Also, complementary foods should be administered on time. When artificially feeding a baby, it is necessary to correctly select the milk mixture. As a rule, in this case, specialist advice is required.
Also, do not forget about various methods of strengthening the child's immunity.
conclusions
Having become acquainted 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 with this pathology is very long. And in order for your child to not have acquired dystrophy, the preventive measures described above should be followed.