Enzyme preparations are designed to improve the digestion process. These funds can be found in home medicine chests not only sick but also healthy people. Sometimes you just can not do without them. In addition to adult patients, pharmacy enzymes are often used for digestion in children. For them, drugs are selected especially carefully, since not every remedy is suitable.
Why are they needed
In young children, the digestive process is still imperfect and very dependent on breast milk. Those children who are breast-fed very often encounter problems such as stomach cramps, bloating, nausea, constipation, or, conversely, diarrhea that occurs when there is a lack of digestive enzymes in the child. In addition, such babies very often lose weight, despite a sufficient amount of artificial nutrition. If you do not pay attention to such symptoms in time, then the child will begin to lag behind in development. His physical activity will decrease and problems will arise with the development of internal organs. Digestion preparations for children up to one year old help to avoid such symptoms and save the baby from further troubles.
How to choose the right
Before prescribing a suitable medicine, the doctor should examine the pancreas, and according to the obtained analyzes, the drug will be prescribed. For example, there are drugs that stimulate the production of their own enzymes or completely replace them. They perfectly relieve pain and help in the digestion of food. Starting from six months, babies can use not only pharmacy drugs, but also traditional medicine.
For children at 3 years old, digestion enzymes are prescribed that contain a special coating. Thus, the active components are protected from hydrochloric acid, so that their effect is more effective. Usually in the list of recommended products are: “Creon”, “Vilprafen”, “Hilak forte”, “Linex”, “Pancreatin”, “Festal” and “Mezim”. Moreover, Linex and Hilak forte are designed to restore intestinal microflora and can also be used to improve digestion of food. Each of them should be considered in more detail.
The drug "Festal"
The list of enzyme preparations for digestion for children is headed by Festal as the most reliable and proven means. This Indian medicine is released in the form of round, shiny dragees with a slight smell of vanilla. Each tablet contains pancreatin. This substance was obtained from calf bile. Among the additional components in the composition of the product are titanium dioxide, talc, gelatin, castor oil, cellulose and sodium chloride. It is prescribed to normalize the process of digesting food with a stomach ulcer, pancreatitis, as well as in the case of eating fatty or fried foods.
This drug can be used for a long time. He has almost no contraindications, with the exception of liver diseases such as bile duct obstruction and hepatitis. With exacerbation of inflammation of the pancreas, this drug is also not recommended. Festal can be given to children from the age of six. Up to twelve years, take one tablet no more than three times a day. After twelve years of age, adolescents can take two tablets three times a day. If necessary, the doctor can prescribe the drug to a child from the age of three.
How to take Mezim Forte
This is a fairly popular drug with digestive enzymes for children 2 years of life, produced by the famous German company Berlin-Chemie. The product is available in the form of pink tablets, located in convenient blisters. One package can contain up to one hundred tablets. Pancreatin is also an active ingredient. Among the additional substances in the composition are: magnesium stearate, talc, titanium dioxide and cellulose.
Mezim Forte is intended for the treatment of diseases of the liver and gall bladder. It helps to cope with the digestion of food, and it is also consumed before an abdominal x-ray is taken. In order to give Mezim Forte to a small child, the tablet should first be crushed. Older children may well take it themselves, washed down with water. The dosage for the child, as a rule, is selected by the attending physician. He also prescribes a course of treatment, which can last from four or five days to several months. Mezim Forte is contraindicated in case of acute pancreatic inflammation, as well as in case of intolerance to the drug components.
The drug "Creon"
This tool is ideal for children at 2 years. Digestion enzymes are represented by pancreatin, and as additional components are present: macrogol, dimethicone, dibutyl phthalate and liquid paraffin. The form of the drug is a convenient capsule in a gelatin shell. When using capsules, you can open them, and pour the contents into a spoon.
The dosage of the drug depends on the weight of the baby. For example, with a weight of up to four kilograms, the contents of one capsule are divided into three parts. If the child weighs no more than ten kilograms, then he can take half the capsule. With a weight of ten to fifteen kilograms, it is recommended to take a whole tablet before or after a meal. The course of treatment should not be too long, otherwise there may be problems in the work of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, the active components interfere with the absorption of iron, as a result of which iron deficiency anemia may develop.
As a rule, digestion preparations for children are prescribed for any digestive disorders associated with poisoning, dysbiosis, insufficient development of pancreatic tissue, as well as problems with the intestines. If the baby has gastric colic, increased gas formation or constipation, then medications will help to cope with the problems.
Powder from the capsule can be mixed with cereals, milk or juice. With an overdose of the drug, itching on the skin, nausea and vomiting are observed.
Pentazolum for children
In addition to pancreatin, Pentazol contains starch, titanium dioxide, talc, lactusan and povidone. It is often used for indigestion caused by overeating, as well as in case of pancreatic insufficiency. Similar digestive problems can occur in the case of a sedentary lifestyle, lack of teeth, and also if a person has undergone surgery to remove the small intestine, part of the stomach or gall bladder.
This medication contains the best digestive enzymes for children. If the baby's weight is fifteen kilograms, then the doctor prescribes taking the drug in an amount of not more than 15,000 units. The usual course of treatment is about fourteen days. Sometimes the baby has irritation of the mucous membrane of the anus or oral cavity. Other side effects include constipation, nausea, and diarrhea.
The drug "Hermital"
The medicine is produced in the form of capsules, which contain pancreatin extracted from the pig’s pancreas, as well as talc, gelatin, wax, magnesium stearate and silicon dioxide. Thanks to the gelatin shell, the capsules freely penetrate the stomach. Use this tool to improve digestion. It is prescribed for patients with cirrhosis, hepatitis, pancreatic insufficiency, as well as for pancreatitis and dysbiosis. The usual daily dose is not more than four capsules.
For children from 5 years old, doctors prescribe enzymes for digestion individually. The course of treatment will depend on the severity of the condition. Among the side effects, skin rashes, nausea, constipation and pain in the stomach are sometimes observed.
Capsules "Micrasim"
In addition to the active component of pancreatin, the preparation contains: colloidal silicon, sorbic acid, talc, methyl cellulose and other auxiliary components. They are contained in a yellow gelatin shell. This tool is also used to treat young children with difficulty digesting food. Babies up to one and a half years old are prescribed no more than half a capsule at a time. The contents of the drug can be poured into fruit puree, milk mixture or in liquid porridge. Digestive enzymes for children 2 years of age are used in the amount of a whole capsule. The product is stored at a temperature not exceeding twenty-five degrees for two years.
The drug "Licrease"
This drug with digestive enzymes for children is used for diseases of the pancreas, as well as digestive disorders. Capsules of the drug can be prescribed to children starting at birth. To do this, the contents are poured into the milk mixture. Children under one year of age can be given one capsule per day. As they grow older, the amount increases and from the age of ten they use up to eight capsules per day. The drug is contraindicated in case of exacerbation of pancreatic inflammation. Side effects include nausea and upset stools. This product is stored for two years in a dry and warm place.
Pancreatin for children
The drug is released in the form of coated tablets. In addition to pancreatin, they contain iron oxide, lactose, calcium stearate and sodium bicarbonate. This remedy was not accidental in the list of digestive enzymes for children. Pancreatin tablets are almost odorless, and their color varies from saturated green to light. As a rule, it is used for digestive disorders associated with the use of fatty and fried foods. When using the drug, it is advisable to swallow the tablets whole and drink with water. As a rule, it is not prescribed for children under three years of age. Starting from three to five years, you can take one tablet per day, and from the age of six drink two tablets a day. As they grow older, the dose is increased to four tablets per day.
In case of prolonged use of the drug, it is recommended to use iron-containing drugs. Sometimes "Pancreatin" causes side effects in the form of nausea, diarrhea and pain in the abdomen. Store the drug for two years at a temperature not exceeding twenty-five degrees.
Gastenorm and Gastenorm forte
These funds are released in the form of white round-shaped tablets. They also contain a shell that dissolves easily in the stomach. The chemical composition of Gastenorm and Gastenorm forte is almost the same as Pancreatin. These drugs-enzymes for digestion for children at 3 years old do not use. They are prescribed for chronic violation of food digestion, accompanied by diarrhea and with frequent gas formation. And also "Gastenorm forte" is recommended for use in diseases of the pancreas, liver and gall bladder. Take tablets both before and after meals, one or three times a day.
Children from three to five years old are not recommended to use more than one tablet per day. Among the side effects, constipation most often occurs. In rare cases, a rash on the surface of the skin, as well as tearing, can be observed. This tool is produced by the Indian company Rusan Pharma Ltd. Shelf life is not more than three years if stored in a dry and warm place.
When can I take
There are symptoms by which you can find out if enzymes are required for digestion in children.
- Drowsiness and fatigue suggests that a person is severely lacking vitamins and minerals. Due to poor assimilation of food, useful substances remain unclaimed and do not penetrate the walls of the stomach.
- Dryness and wrinkling of the skin indicate a violation of the water balance and an acute shortage of vitamins A and E. A similar problem can be solved only after the microflora of the stomach is restored and the stool normalizes. Regular constipation leads to dehydration and intoxication of the body.
- Undigested food remains rotting and ultimately completely changes the intestinal microflora. A person suffers from gas, diarrhea, or constipation. He has bad breath, general weakness and drowsiness.
- In the future, there is an unpleasant sensation in the abdomen after each meal. In the absence of treatment, any food brings inconvenience, resulting in loss of appetite and desire to eat something.
In a word, all of the above signs should alert, as they are a serious problem and can lead to undesirable consequences. After contacting a gastroenterologist, a full-fledged treatment will be prescribed, which involves, among other drugs, taking enzymes to improve digestion.
What are the preparations made of?
All digestive enzymes for children can be divided into several groups. Almost all of them contain a substance of animal origin - pancreatin. Some of them (for example, Festal and Enzistal) contain bile and hemicellulose in addition to the main component. Mezim forte and Creon preparations contain lipase and amylase. Pepsin is present in some products. The active component of pancreatin is an enzyme of the pancreas of domestic animals. Patients who suffer from a disease such as gastritis are advised to take medications that contain pepsin, and in cases of disturbance of the microflora of the stomach, the best option would be to use Festal.