When a child has obvious digestive problems, many parents begin to worry about this. Meanwhile, such a phenomenon is by no means uncommon among newborns. Fortunately, you can deal with it with the help of "Creon" for children. This medicine refers to enzyme preparations that help improve the digestion process.
What is Creon?
From the first year of life, many children suffer from digestive problems. And there are enough reasons for this:
- Gastrointestinal maturation outside the womb.
- The consequences of using medications.
- Incorrect feeding.
- The rehabilitation period after the infection.
Specifically, this medication is made from pig glands during their slaughter. After extracting the enzymes, they are cleaned of foreign biological impurities, including bacteria and viruses that are carried by these animals.
Often, most doctors prescribe Creon for children with complaints of digestion. Note that its cost is quite high. Therefore, it will not be out of place to figure out what kind of medication it is, and whether it is possible to find an alternative to it. To do this, refer to the composition of "Creon".
The composition of the drug
Pharmaceutical companies "Creon" for children can produce different dosages - 10,000, 25,000, 40,000. Such a sonorous label indicates the maximum concentration of lipase in the drug. Other components (amylase, protease) are present in smaller quantities.
Now, as promised, consider its composition. These are mainly the following enzymes:
- Amylases - contribute to the breakdown of carbohydrates (by the way, starch is considered a complex carbohydrate compound).
- Lipases - support the breakdown of fats.
- Proteases - are responsible for the breakdown of proteins.
In addition, the composition of the drug also includes other excipients:
- macrogol;
- phthal;
- hypromellose;
- cetyl alcohol;
- dimethicone;
- triethyl citrate.
All of these enzymes are "packaged" in capsules, which are covered by the enteric coating. Under the influence of gastric juice, it dissolves, releasing its contents. This usually takes a few minutes after taking "Creon" by the children.
Digestion
Inside us there are special enzymes that serve to break down proteins, fats and starch into amino acids, glycerol and fatty acids, dextrin and monosaccharides. The resulting products are the building material for the human body. Under normal conditions, the pancreas is responsible for the production of these enzymes.
When food enters the stomach and is sent to the duodenum, a reflex release of secretion occurs, containing the enzymes mentioned. The process of digestion begins and the food continues to descend into the small intestine, where it is absorbed.
If enzymes are not enough, then a well-established process is disrupted, due to which there are characteristic signs of dyspepsia. The drug "Creon" contributes to improvement, which is largely due to the content of enzymes of natural origin. Its main advantage is that all components are in perfect proportion for the human body.
Indications for taking the drug
Is it possible to give “Creon” to 10,000 children in 2 years? As already mentioned, the majority of infants face digestive problems. And quite often. Parents should remember that their digestive system has not yet been strengthened, so do not be surprised at this and panic. Over time, everything will return to normal.
In addition, the production of enzymes in a natural way has also not yet been properly established, and for this reason the stomach and intestines have an increased sensitivity to many irritants. Dyspepsia can cause not only the wrong diet of the child, but also the composition of the food.
As for infants, they are still at that age when they comprehend new products and from this his diet begins to expand markedly. At the same time, the load on the pancreas increases. Taking the “Creon” preparation significantly facilitates the digestion process, when the body cannot yet do everything on its own, and it cannot be done without outside help.
Regarding the medical indications of Creon for children, these may be the following cases:
- belching;
- pain
- diarrhea;
- constipation;
- belching;
- bloating;
- underweight.
All of the above is just the symptomatology of dyspepsia, and this condition is characteristic of many children of two years.
Other indications
At the same time, "Creon" can be given to the child in other cases:
- Dyspepsia after intestinal dysbiosis.
- Cystic fibrosis.
- Diseases of the pancreas and its ducts.
Also, the drug is indicated during the rehabilitation period after surgery on the digestive organs. Only a doctor is entitled to prescribe a medicine - self-medication is unacceptable here! A pediatrician or pediatric gastroenterologist must first get acquainted with the complaints of the young patient, the history of their appearance and conduct the necessary examination.
Laboratory studies are needed to create a complete clinical picture. The child takes feces for analysis and a coprogram is performed. This type of study allows you to evaluate how efficiently the digestion of proteins, fats, carbohydrates.
Based on the data received, the doctor prescribes "Creon" for a month-old baby (or older children) in the required dosage.
To whom the medication is contraindicated
Do not consider “Creon” as a harmless remedy for the stomach, as it may have its own side effects. Fortunately, in most cases, children tolerate the therapeutic effect of this drug.
Hypersensitivity to any of its internal components, if it occurs, is extremely rare. Usually pork pancreatin or excipients (stabilizers, dyes, preservatives) are to blame. Of course, in this case, the appointment of the drug is contraindicated.
In other words, the cases when Creon is forbidden for children to take are as follows:
- Hypersensitivity to the drug.
- The acute form of pancreatitis.
- Cases of exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis.
- Ulcerative processes of the stomach and intestines, proceeding in the acute stage.
- Pancreatic malignancies.
It is also forbidden to take the drug during the course of the inflammatory process of the pancreas in acute form. Enzymes in this case can damage the tissues of the organ, including the mucous membrane of the adjacent intestine.
Side effects of the drug
"Creon" can be considered a local medicine, since the zone of its influence is the intestine. This is where its decay occurs, and it is practically not absorbed and does not enter the circulatory system. In this connection, its active substances do not spread throughout the body, therefore, there are minimal possible side effects, which can be understood by analyzing many reviews and the “Creon” 10000 instructions for children. Although they appear, but occasionally:
- Allergy - its manifestation, as a rule, is limited to skin rashes, itching, urticaria.
- Disorders of the digestive tract - vomiting, nausea, bloating, constipation.
- Gastrointestinal Disorders - Usually closely associated with the underlying general disease.
- Intestinal fibrosis - this complication is observed with prolonged therapy with the medication in question in a large dosage. It mainly appears in patients with cystic fibrosis. For this reason, such patients need regular follow-up examinations of the intestine (ultrasound, colonoscopy, etc.).
An overdose of the drug can cause hyperuricemia, hyperuricosuria. If undesirable effects occur during the treatment period, the medication should be discontinued and a doctor should be consulted immediately for advice.
In addition, the drug has a limited shelf life - in accordance with the instructions, "Creon" 10000 for children up to one year can be taken for three months after the packaging is opened. If you continue to take the medicine, then the risk of side effects increases significantly.
Required dosage
As we now know, the drug considered in the topic of this article is available in different dosages. For example, in "Creon" 10,000 contains 10,000 units of lipase, 8,000 units of amylase and 6,000 units of protease. This amount is enough for the needs of a small organism. For this reason, it is still very young patients who are prescribed "Creon" 10000.
But how is the individual dosage of the drug calculated? For this, doctors rely on the following indicators:
- The severity of the disease.
- Body mass.
- How much lipid the child consumes in his diet.
When making a diagnosis of cystic fibrosis, the doctor prescribes Creon for children at 2 years old with a dosage of 1000 units per kg body weight of a child under 4 years old. For children over 4 years of age, the amount of the drug is slightly less - 500 units per kg of body weight. During treatment, the doctor will, if necessary, adjust the dosage based on the results of ongoing studies and the characteristics of the course of the disease.
In case of pancreatic insufficiency, the dosage may be 25000-80000 units of lipase based on the main diet. With a decrease in the intensity of symptoms, the dose of the drug decreases.
Alternative
In addition to Creon, many pharmaceutical companies produce other drugs of similar composition and effect. Good analogues can be considered:
- Pancreatin
- Mezim Forte.
- "Panzikam".
- Enzystal.
- "Festal".
- Mikrazim.
There may also be other drugs. Analogues of "Creon" 10000 for children are characterized by lower cost, but, despite this, experts recommend still to give preference to the original products.
Unlike analogues, the composition of “Creon” is more balanced. In addition, capsules have a significant advantage over the tablet form of the drug - they are easy to open, which allows you to mix the contents with milk or food.
How to give the drug to newborns
"Creon", although it contains numerous components, is characterized by a mild effect, in connection with which many doctors prescribe it for infants. Before taking the capsule is opened, and its contents are mixed with mother's milk. For children up to a year who also receive complementary foods, the medicine can be mixed in vegetable or fruit puree. Younger older patients (from 3 to 5 years) can be given the drug when drinking yogurt or drink it with fruit juice.
It is recommended for the treatment period to give preference to acidic products, since they help to improve the therapeutic effect of the drug. Infants have half a capsule for each dose, which is comparable to 5000 units of lipase.
Reviews
Despite the rather high cost of the drug, it is very popular and finds its admirers among many parents. And the instructions for the use of "Creon" for children, and the reviews of most mothers and fathers once again prove the high effectiveness of this drug.
Preparations "Creon" 25,000 and 40,000 provide the necessary support for the digestive system in case of difficulties during the digestion of heavy foods. As for the side effects, it is mainly constipation or abdominal discomfort.
But in any case, taking this drug, you can get the desired result. Of course, subject to proper nutrition, including a sparing diet. This avoids serious complications in the future.