Inflammation of the lungs is a very serious disease, which is considered one of the most common and difficult to diagnose. Infant pneumonia is especially dangerous, as a small child is still very weak to fight the disease. Without timely comprehensive treatment, his chances of survival are minimal.
When the first signs of pneumonia appear in a child up to a year old, you should immediately consult a doctor for diagnosis and treatment.
Disease feature
Pneumonia in children of the first year of life is very dangerous, as it can lead to very dangerous complications and threatens the baby's life. This is a complex inflammation of the lung tissue. There can be many causes for this condition in a child. In childhood, the disease is quite severe.
At risk for complications of the disease are weakened children, as well as those who suffer from concomitant chronic diseases. Inflammation in the lungs triggers a number of different reactions that have a rather adverse effect on the whole body. Such violations lead to the appearance of many respiratory disorders in the baby.
The severity of the course of the disease depends on the characteristics of the baby's health. With a local lesion that occurs only in the lung tissue, doctors talk about the occurrence of inflammation.
Among newborns, the prevalence of pneumonia is quite rare. This feature in infants is mainly due to the presence of certain antibodies that they receive from their mother during breastfeeding. Maternal immunoglobulins reliably protect the child's body from various infectious pathogens that provoke the development of pneumonia.
Main types
There are several types of pneumonia in children that are quite dangerous. Focal pneumonia in the baby is immediately visible when examining the lungs, and the infiltrates have a clear outline. Signs of pneumonia in a child under one year old can occur suddenly, and parents should, at the slightest suspicion, call an ambulance.
The variety of causes of pneumonia, contributes to the fact that the disease occurs in various clinical options. This classification is often used by doctors for diagnosis and treatment.
Given the initial manifestation of symptoms, inflammation can be acute or chronic. The first variant of the disease occurs in babies much more often. The acute form of pneumonia is mainly characterized by a variety of symptoms, which manifests itself in the baby quite clearly.
Inflammation can occur on one side or affect two lungs at once. Often, babies have right-sided pneumonia. This feature of the development of the disease is due only to the anatomical structure of the respiratory system. The bronchus, located on the right side, is usually somewhat shorter and thicker than the left. This leads to the fact that microorganisms penetrate into it and develop in the right lung.
Left-sided pneumonia in a child up to a year is generally much less common. She has a more favorable prognosis. In some cases, a bilateral inflammatory process may develop. It proceeds quite severely and provokes rather unfavorable symptoms. To eliminate it, the appointment of complex therapy is required. Given the localization of the inflammatory process, several clinical variants of the course of the disease are distinguished, namely:
- focal;
- segmental;
- radical;
- shared.
Focal is characterized by the presence of a lesion, which can be localized in different parts of the lung. Basal - inflammation is localized mainly in the root area of the affected organ. A segmented view implies that the inflammatory process extends to a specific anatomical zone of the lung. With lobar inflammation covers a whole share.
In some cases, pneumonia is asymptomatic or occurs secretly. In this case, the presence of the disease can only be determined using additional diagnostic techniques. A correct diagnosis can be made using techniques such as a general blood test and chest x-ray. These studies help to detect pneumonia in the earliest stages.
Given the causative agent of the disease, such types of pneumonia are distinguished as:
- viral;
- atypical;
- bacterial.
Viral occurs when viruses enter the body that provoke an inflammatory process in the lung tissue. Bacterial pneumonia is characterized by a rather severe course and the appearance of adverse symptoms, which cause significant discomfort. The most dangerous variants of the disease pass into destructive forms, accompanied by massive death of lung tissue.
Atypical pneumonia is caused by pathogens. These include mycoplasmas, chlamydia, legionella.
Causes of occurrence
Pneumonia in a child at 1 year of age can occur for reasons such as:
- contact with a sick person;
- weak immunity;
- hypothermia;
- prematurity;
- various developmental defects.
Together with breathing, a person secretes pathogens. Fungi, viruses and bacteria penetrate the baby's body along with inhaled air. Therefore, it is very dangerous for a child to be near a sick person.
If the baby's body is greatly weakened, then he can not resist bacteria. Immunity is greatly weakened after diseases, injuries and poisonings. Often, pneumonia occurs in the form of complications.
Serious and prolonged hypothermia can lead to pneumonia. In the cold season, it is very important to dress the child warmly. If the baby has congenital defects of the respiratory system, then any external exposure can lead to the development of a serious illness.
In premature babies, the respiratory system is not fully developed. As a result of this, it becomes vulnerable to many diseases, including pneumonia. The disease often occurs in the cold season, when the child is sick with SARS and the flu.
Main symptoms
Many parents do not know how pneumonia occurs in children under one year of age, but it is very important to recognize the first symptoms of the disease in order to provide timely assistance to the baby. Symptoms of the disease vary greatly depending on which pathogen it was provoked. Also, its course differs depending on the age and immunity of the baby. Often there are signs of pneumonia in a child up to a year, such as:
- temperature rise;
- decreased appetite;
- disruption of the nervous system;
- dyspnea;
- cough.
With pneumonia, the temperature can rise to 39.5 degrees, although sometimes it may not be. Features of pneumonia in young children are that all attempts to lower the temperature do not give any result or it is short-lived.
Almost all children begin to refuse food. Breast asks for a breast, but he needs it, rather, to calm him down, as he sucks milk very sluggishly. This applies not only to inflammation. Appetite in a child always indicates the presence of health problems.
If the baby suffers from pneumonia, then his behavior completely changes. Perhaps the appearance of drowsiness, overexcitation, tearfulness or, conversely, an unusual calm. In the early days of the disease, shortness of breath in the child and wheezing in the lungs are observed.
Gradually a cough begins to appear. The remaining symptoms of pneumonia previously present in children under one year old gradually disappear. In this case, the cough only begins to intensify. If the disease has already receded, and then suddenly a deterioration in well-being begins, this can indicate the appearance of complications. Inflammation of the lungs can manifest as severe pallor of the skin.
It is important not to self-medicate and when the first signs of pneumonia in a child up to a year appear, immediately consult a doctor for diagnosis and treatment.
Diagnostics
Immediately after the onset of symptoms of pneumonia in children up to a year, a comprehensive diagnosis is required, which is carried out in a hospital. For this baby, they are examined, and then such techniques as:
- blood analysis;
- sputum examination;
- serological tests;
- X-ray
- determination of concentration and gases in arterial blood.
These diagnostic techniques help to quickly diagnose and prescribe appropriate treatment.
Treatment features
With pneumonia in infants, hospitalization and treatment in a hospital are mainly required. In some cases, mechanical ventilation may even be required. The basis of treatment is the use of antibacterial drugs.
In addition, interferons are used that have an anti-inflammatory effect and strengthen the immune system. If there is a cough and shortness of breath in a child, then symptomatic therapy is required, in the framework of which sputum thinners and expectorants are prescribed, as well as antihistamines.
The baby should be picked up as often as possible to prevent lung congestion. You also need to regularly air the room where it is located. It is worth remembering that the symptoms disappear before the inflammatory process passes. Incomplete treatment can lead to relapse or even the transition of an acute process to a chronic one.
Drug therapy
With pneumonia in infants, treatment must necessarily be comprehensive. All drugs must be prescribed by a doctor. The treatment regimen is selected separately for each baby. In this case, the doctor must take into account the presence of concomitant diseases in the child, which may become a contraindication to the use of certain drugs.
Be sure to prescribe antibiotics for pneumonia in children up to a year, since it is important to eliminate bacteria. Doctors prefer broad-spectrum antibacterial drugs. They allow you to quickly achieve the desired result. Modern medicines are well tolerated and rarely cause side effects. For the treatment of pneumonia, mainly several groups of antibiotics are used, which include:
- protected penicillins;
- macrolides;
- cephalosporins.
For infants of the first months of life, semi-synthetic penicillins are mainly prescribed to eliminate the existing symptoms. According to the instructions for the use of Amoxiclav suspension, for children the drug can be used in the very first days after birth. It is distinguished by efficiency and safety. This remedy fights bacteria, fungi, viruses. As stated in the instructions for use of the suspension "Amoxiclav" for children, it destroys the cause of the disease and normalizes the well-being of the child. If the pathology was provoked by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, then “Cefaperazone”, “Ceftriaxone”, “Tienam” are prescribed. In the treatment of SARS, macrolides are used. The dosage of the drugs and the duration of their administration is determined by the attending doctor.
Probiotics and prebiotics are prescribed to prevent the development of complications from the digestive tract and normalize the intestinal microflora. Babies are mainly prescribed drugs such as Acipol, Linex, Bifidumbacterin.
Anti-inflammatory and antipyretic drugs are used to normalize body temperature. Babies are allowed funds based on ibuprofen or paracetamol. Usually, to achieve the desired result, they need to be taken two to three times a day.
If the child has poor sputum discharge during coughing, then expectorants are used. They help reduce the viscosity of the discharge, which makes it easier for the baby to cough. Such funds include Ambroxol, ACC, Fluimucin, Ambrobene. When taking these drugs, the child should consume a sufficient amount of fluid.
Folk remedies
With small focal pneumonia in infants, it is possible to use alternative medicine with medications. Before this, consultation with a specialist is required! An onion-based medicine helps eliminate the disease. To do this, squeeze the juice from a small onion, mix it with the same amount of honey. The resulting product should be consumed in a few drops 2-3 times daily before meals.
To combat the disease, garlic oil is also prepared. Grind 2 cloves of garlic until gruel, mix with 100 g butter. The prepared product is consumed 2-3 times daily.
A decoction of aloe and honey has a good effect. Mix 300 g of honey, chopped aloe leaf and 0.5 tbsp. water. Boil the product for 2 hours over low heat. Then cool, drink 1 tbsp. l three times a day.
Physiotherapeutic Techniques
Such techniques help to cope with the disease much faster. They include:
- inhalation;
- electrophoresis;
- magnetotherapy;
- inductothermy;
- thermal procedures.
These procedures are carried out in a hospital by qualified doctors. For this, special devices are used. The doctor prescribes a certain number of procedures.
Possible complications
If the diagnosis is incorrect, then there can be various serious consequences for the body. One of the complications is purulent pleurisy, which can be triggered by various microorganisms, in particular such as:
- staphylococci;
- pneumococci;
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa;
- Klebsiella.
Treatment can be significantly complicated if it is a premature baby or if he suffers from immunodeficiency.
Prophylaxis
A disease is much easier to prevent than to cure for a long time. As a prophylaxis, special vaccines are used, which are more likely to protect the baby from pneumonia. Starting from 2 months they are vaccinated against pneumococci.
It is also important to monitor the health of the baby, to prevent hypothermia. If the child has a cold, a comprehensive treatment is required to prevent complications.