The leading complaint of babies is pain in the abdomen. In most cases, gastritis in children causes discomfort. Symptoms and treatment should be discussed with the pediatrician. It is very dangerous to fight the disease on your own. After all, sometimes a disease is the initial stage of an ulcer. Only a doctor can conclude that damage to the gastric mucosa is superficial or massive.
Doctors, carefully examining gastritis in children, symptoms and treatment, have selected many modern techniques that can cope with the disease. But only if the small patient will strictly observe all prescribed appointments.
Causes of gastritis
Most people consider malnutrition as the only culprit. However, the causes of gastritis in children are very diverse and are not limited to dry food snacks. Consider those that in most cases lead to the development of the disease.
- Improper nutrition. Unfortunately, this is the most common cause of gastritis. Irregularity of food, refusal of first courses, snacks between full meals, a diet devoid of nutrients, burning hot food or, conversely, cold food is a direct path to the development of the disease. Stale or spoiled foods often lead to gastritis. Eating once a day, passion for spicy or fried foods - also often become a source of the disease.
- The effect of drugs. Some pharmacological drugs have the ability to cause inflammation of the mucosa. As a rule, doctors must take into account the side effects of drugs. Therefore, medications are prescribed that help mitigate the stomach-harmful drug.
- Poisoning. Alkalis, acids, poison of mushrooms, household chemicals can trigger the development of gastritis.
- Stress. Intensive school workload, information pressure, attitude with a teacher or classmates, poor grades often cause a child to remain in a bad mood for a long time. Such prolonged stresses, or, conversely, one short-term, but very strong, can cause gastritis.
- Immune Disorders It can be allergies or failures in the system itself.
- Diseases Pancreatitis, cholecystitis, endocrine system disorders, dental caries often cause the development of the disease.
- The presence of parasites in the body.
- Injuries. The risk group includes children accidentally swallowing sharp objects. Sometimes gastritis can provoke an external effect - a strong blow.
- Heredity. It is known that the source of the disease may be a genetic predisposition.
- Helicobacter pylori. A bacterium that freely migrates throughout the body. In most cases, it can lead to the development of an ailment.
Types of gastritis
The disease is classified according to various signs. Today, medicine distinguishes many varieties of a disease such as gastritis in children. Symptoms and treatment of each form are accordingly different. That is why it is quite important to consult a doctor if you suspect a development of an ailment.
According to the course of the disease, gastritis is:
- Spicy . Typical form. It has pronounced symptoms. It provokes the occurrence of improper food, drugs, chemistry or mechanical damage. A bacterial source cannot be excluded. As a rule, the development of such an ailment as gastritis always always begins with the acute phase. Symptoms, treatment in children, ignored or incorrectly interpreted, lead to the development of a chronic form. Such a transition can also provoke incorrect methods of combating the disease. An untreated illness also entails a more serious stage.
- Chronic A form in which the course of the disease is almost asymptomatic. In this case, chronic gastritis in children is characterized by morphological changes in the mucosa. The regenerative capacity of cells is gradually lost. This leads to atrophy. The normal composition of hydrochloric acid, pepsins is disturbed. This immediately affects digestion.
- Atrophic . Chronic gastritis in children, untreated for a long time, goes to the next stage. The atrophic form has no acute stages. However, it is quite dangerous. The walls of the stomach become thinner, cease to regenerate. Soon, the body may stop digesting food altogether.
Gastritis is distinguished by acidity:
- with increased;
- with reduced;
- saved.
Symptoms of acute gastritis
The signs characterizing the ailment are very multifaceted. Among them, the general accompanying gastritis symptoms in children are distinguished. However, there are specific signs that indicate the development of a specific form.
The acute stage is characterized by:
- Pain in the abdomen. It can be observed as a paroxysmal, sharp form, and a constant, dull. Sensation with an empty stomach intensifies.
- Heartburn, sometimes acid belching after eating.
- Nausea, often vomiting. The masses have a sour taste and smell. In some cases, the baby vomits with bile.
- Dry mouth or increased salivation.
- Violation of bowel movements. It can manifest as constipation or as diarrhea.
- Weakness of the body, accompanied by dizziness and pain.
- Sweating, fever.
- Decrease in pressure and heart rate.
Common symptoms of a chronic form
As previously noted, a neglected ailment acquires such a stage. Sometimes signs of development of this form are not very pronounced. Therefore, it is very important to carefully treat all manifestations.
Typically, if chronic gastritis is suspected , the symptoms in children are as follows:
- After eating (within 20 minutes) a slight dull pain appears.
- Lack of appetite, after eating, nausea occurs, a feeling of bloating or bursting appears.
- Belching accompanied by putrefactive odor.
- Bad taste in the oral cavity.
- Violation of the stool. The child is tormented by constipation and diarrhea.
- The surface of the tongue is covered with a gray coating.
- A blood test diagnoses anemia.
- Hair becomes brittle, dry, nails begin to exfoliate.
- General weakness is noted. Often it is accompanied by increased drowsiness. Unreasonable irritability appears.
- Possible weight loss.
Gastritis treatment
If the disease is caused by the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, then they begin by eliminating the infection from the body. Before treating gastritis in children, the doctor will prescribe a test and will recommend an examination. This will make it possible to establish the form, form of the disease. Therefore, choose a set of effective measures to combat the disease.
When wondering how to treat gastritis in children, it should be understood that the basis of all the techniques is dietary nutrition. However, depending on the species, the acidity of the diet will vary.
For the acute stage, a strict diet is required. In some cases, this method manages to overcome all the symptoms accompanying gastritis. Treatment in children occurs even without medication. The dietary table just gives you the opportunity to "rest" the stomach and restore the mucous walls.
Physiotherapy is often connected to the correct diet , special mineral waters are prescribed. If necessary, treatment is supplemented with enzyme preparations, antispasmodics. Their action is aimed at correcting vegetative disorders. May use sedative therapy.
Diet principles
Nutrition for gastritis in children should be based on compliance with certain rules.
- Regime diet. The child should eat 5 times a day. At the same time, it is important that the baby receives food strictly according to the schedule.
- Products and processing methods. All food offered to the child should be freshly prepared. All artificial additives, refined products, sugar should be excluded from the diet. The most preferred processing methods are stewing, steaming and baking in the oven (without crust).
- Healthy foods. If acute gastritis is diagnosed in children, symptoms and treatment require a sparing diet. Preference is given to "mucous" porridges. This is rice, pearl barley, buckwheat. Also suitable are semolina, herculean. In the acute stage, raw vegetables and fruits are excluded. For any form of the course of the disease, it is forbidden to include canned food, fried foods, coffee, sweet teas in the diet. The following products are excluded from the child’s menu: radish, cabbage, spinach, radish, and legumes.
Features of the diet in acute form
At this stage, the baby may experience dehydration as a result of vomiting. Therefore, it is very important to unsolder the child. The first 6-12 hours a small patient should receive only water-tea drinks. No juices!
Further nutrition for gastritis in children involves the inclusion of various soups (“mucous membranes”). They must be ground with a blender. If there is heartburn, potatoes should be excluded.
After 3-4 days, the diet can be varied with steam meat dishes - meatballs, meatballs. It is allowed to enter boiled fish in the menu.
On the 4-5th day, dairy food is connected. The child is allowed fruit juices.
Approximate diet
After recovery, the child is assigned table number 1. The following is an approximate diet for gastritis in children.
- Breakfast . Weak tea, you can with milk. Steamed omelet with a slice of yesterday’s bread (white).
- The second breakfast . Rice (oat) milk porridge. It is allowed to add butter - 0.5 teaspoon. A glass of cocoa or milk.
- Lunch "Slimy" soup with vegetables. An egg is added as desired. Cutlets (meatballs) exclusively steam. Small pasta. Drink food with weak tea.
- An afternoon snack . Curd with fruits.
- Dinner Shredded vegetables, rubbed through a sieve. Boiled chicken with a slice of yesterday’s bread.
Diet for chronic gastritis with low acidity
The diet is signed by the doctor, usually for a week. If gastritis is diagnosed in children with low acidity, then the following diet is recommended.
- Breakfast. Buckwheat porridge, tea (not strong) with milk.
- The second breakfast . Boiled (stewed) vegetables. Rice cutlets with fruits. Cocoa.
- Lunch Cereal soup on the "mucous" broth. Stew with vegetables. Kissel.
- An afternoon snack . Inedible cookies with a glass of kefir.
- Dinner Pancakes with cottage cheese or meat. Kissel (tea).
Approximate diet with high acidity
It should be understood that the diet for gastritis in children is compiled by the attending physician based on the diagnosis. The following is an approximate ration for reference.
- Breakfast . "Mucous" porridge. Tea.
- The second breakfast . Soft-boiled egg. Vegetable fritters or steam cutlets.
- Lunch Mucous soup. Boiled veal with vegetables. Kissel or compote.
- An afternoon snack . Sandwich with jam (cheese). A glass of milk.
- Dinner Dumplings (pancakes) with filling. Tea.
Conclusion
Unpleasant, but not fatal, if gastritis is diagnosed in children. Symptoms and treatment require only an integrated approach. In addition to medicines, the child needs strict adherence to dietary nutrition. This will save the baby from pain attacks and will contribute to a speedy cure.