Ureaplasma In Children - How To Prevent Infection

2023 Author: Riley Dean | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-27 09:15

Causes of infection of children with ureaplasma and methods of treatment

Content

• 1 How does the infection occur?

  1.1 Danger of infection by bacteria

• 2 Symptoms of ureaplasma in children
• 3 Diagnostic measures

• 4 Treatment

  • 4.1 Antibiotics
  • 4.2 Other drugs
• 5 Diet with ureaplasma in children
• 6 Treatment with folk remedies
• 7 Prevention

Ureaplasma in children is common in recent years. This bacterium is found in 30% of newborn girls. In boys, this figure is much lower, since they often self-heal. The bacterium belongs to gram-negative microbes, is intracellular. The microorganism has no DNA, but it has an additional shell. Therefore, according to various classifications, it is between bacteria and viruses.

How does the infection take place?

There are several ways of infection:

1. Intrauterine. Infection occurs before birth if the mother is a carrier. Not in all cases, infection really occurs, since the baby is protected by the placenta, which does not allow most infections to pass through itself. If a woman is registered in the antenatal clinic, a pathology was detected in a timely manner, treatment was prescribed, the risk of complications decreases.
2. During childbirth. In the absence of diagnostic measures, ureaplasma may go unnoticed. When passing through the birth canal, the fetus is susceptible to infection. The pathogen can remain on the mucous membranes of the nose, throat, genitals.
3. After birth. There is a risk of infection during an urgent operation associated with organ transplantation. But today, thanks to modern methods of studying biomaterial, this type of infection is rare.

Danger of infection by bacteria

Danger of infection by bacteria

Ureaplasmosis in children has every chance of leading to consequences that depend on the method of infection. With intrauterine infection, symptoms appear with lightning speed. The defeat can affect the brain, lead to the development of pneumonia, proceeding in an atypical form, delayed psychomotor development.

If infected during childbirth, the baby may develop a chronic cough and a constant increase in body temperature.

Ureaplasmosis affects the tissues of the respiratory system, leading to the development of severe forms of pneumonia, which accompany circulatory disorders. Regardless of the route of infection, negative effects can affect the nervous system, liver, kidneys, heart. Girls, if untreated, may have problems in the future with carrying a pregnancy and conceiving.

In adolescence, when infection occurs after intercourse, the bacterium begins to actively develop in the urogenital tract. Signs of cystitis, urethritis, prostatitis appear. Girls develop an inflammatory process in the vagina and vulva. Sometimes the processes affect the internal genital organs.

In extreme cases, in the presence of additional unfavorable factors, ureaplasma can lead to the death of the fetus in intrauterine development and cause premature birth.

Symptoms of ureaplasma in children

The difficulty in diagnosing is that the signs often do not have unique characteristics, and the symptoms of ureaplasma in children are similar to those that appear in other inflammatory diseases. They also depend on the mucous membranes of which organs were affected. Boys have:

• Slight soreness and burning sensation during urination;
• The appearance of colorless and odorless discharge;
• Frequent urge to use the toilet.

The girls' referral to the doctor is associated with pulling pains in the lower abdomen, discomfort during urination. Vaginal discharge may appear.

Ureaplasmosis in childhood has specificity, since there are foci in the body. Against the background of a weakened immunity, secondary infections join. Sometimes babies actively begin to lose weight. With damage to the central nervous system and meninges, epileptic seizures, nausea, and vomiting occur.

Diagnostic measures

Many people ask the question: how to identify ureaplasma in children. There are few diagnostic methods. The babies undergo bacteriological research. If the baby was born prematurely, with respiratory failure or meningitis, it is advisable to culture the contents of the trachea. The placenta is also examined.

Since ureaplasma does not grow in conventional media, samples are delivered in a special transport. Serological methods of research are carried out today only for research purposes. It was found that EIA using a membrane protein cannot detect an increased level of antibodies in newborns with bacteria.

Diagnostic measures

Good results can be achieved using the PCR method. When diagnosing the respiratory tract, the results of this method coincide with the cultural one by 93-99%. PCR allows you to multiply the genetic material of the pathogen.

Clinical and laboratory methods can detect ureaplasmosis and other infectious pathologies. A bacteriological examination of a smear for a similar pathogenic microflora is not carried out using a conventional microscope. The cells are so small that they often go unnoticed. The main goal of such an event is to identify concomitant pathologies.

Treatment

Before starting treatment, the presence of other infections in the child's body is determined. Sometimes one bacteria infects the body more than another. Treatment is carried out in a hospital or outpatient setting. The course includes:

• Antibacterial agents;
• Immunomodulators;
• Preparations that improve the microflora.

Antibiotics

If symptoms of ureaplasma appear in a child, antibiotics are selected carefully. This is due not only to the fact that some species have teratogenic effects. The causative agent is easily adaptable to various types of similar drugs. Sometimes several courses are given because it is difficult to find the right medicine. This easy adaptation occurs because the microorganism does not have a protein coat.

Most strains of ureaplasma are sensitive to erythromycin and tetracycline. The latter can only be used to treat children over 12 years of age. To prevent infection of the fetus during intrauterine development, Erythromycin is used, but after the 29th week of pregnancy, the expediency of using the drug is violated.

Erythromycin

Tetracycline

With rapid intravenous administration to newborns, cardiotoxicity with the development of arrhythmias can be detected. The effectiveness of treatment in premature infants has not been proven. In accordance with individual indications, macrolide preparations or fluoroquinols can be prescribed.

Other drugs

Treatment of ureaplasma in children occurs with the use of the following drugs:

Group	Description	Examples of
Probiotics	Microorganisms and substances of similar origin, which normalize the microflora in the intestine. Available in dry and liquid form.	If the newborn does not receive breast milk, drugs containing lacto-, bifidobacteria are prescribed. Manufacturers offer Bifeform Baby, Narine, Linex.
Immunomodulators	They activate links in one chain of the immune process, reduce the activity of some, enhance the work of others. Before starting treatment, the child's immune status is determined.	The synthesized drugs include Viferon, Immunal, Cyclofern, Anaferon, Arbidol.
Vitamins	They are needed to maintain normal immune function. They drink in courses. With ureaplasma, vitamins B, C and others are relevant	Different types are used depending on the age of the patient. Appointed Multitabs, Supradin, AlfaVit and others.
Enzymes	They are needed to break down large particles into smaller ones. Improves digestion processes.	Mezim forte, Fenistal and others. Small children are prescribed with extreme caution.

The rest of the funds are aimed at maintaining the affected organ.

Diet for ureaplasma in children

Diet for ureaplasma in children

There are no special requirements for the treatment of ureaplasma in children. The diet should be formulated to enhance immunity. To do this, the emphasis should be on foods that are high in carbohydrates, proteins, fats and vitamins. These products include:

• Porridge (buckwheat, oatmeal, dark rice);
• Fresh vegetables and fruits;
• Dairy products (goat milk, yogurt);
• Fresh juices;
• Legumes;
• Fish fat;
• Fruits.

Nutritionists recommend steaming instead of frying. This should be done in such a way as to distribute the food ration for each meal in small portions. Children are encouraged to drink a lot. For this, rosehip decoctions, juices, teas, mineral waters can be used.

Treatment with folk remedies

It is necessary to approach the choice of an alternative method of treatment to get rid of ureaplasma in a child with caution. Some herbs can only be drunk after 12 years. There are fees to reduce inflammation and speed up the healing process. But they do not stop taking medications if they are prescribed by a doctor.

Chamomile has a positive effect on the child's body. It is used for rinsing the throat, rinsing the nose, if the nasopharynx is affected. This herb can also be used for newborns. You need to drink it both for the child himself and for the mother who is breastfeeding. To prepare a decoction, 1 teaspoon of a dry plant is poured with hot water. For older children, honey is added to the drink. The dosage is 0.25 ml of a glass three times a day for 2-3 months.

Licorice root has an anti-inflammatory and diuretic effect. But you can drink it after an allergy test. To do this, apply the broth to the baby's elbows with a cotton pad. If redness does not appear, add a few drops to the water. To prepare a drink, you need 30 gr. pour 0.5 l of the root. boiling water. Cook over low heat for 1/6 hour. You should drink a teaspoon 4 times a day.

pharmaceutical camomile

Liquorice root

Prevention

Since ureaplasma in newborns can appear not only in utero, hygiene rules must be observed. You should not wipe the baby with adult towels, wash it with general soap.

To protect the fetus from disease, it is recommended to undergo treatment before conception. Detection of pathology during pregnancy requires treatment.

The prognosis for the disease is favorable if treatment is started in a timely manner. In properly organized conditions, the baby's body successfully copes with the disease. If treatment is started late, serious consequences may develop. A chronic infection causes infertility in a child.