Children's infectious diseases have been known since ancient times. Written sources from Mesopotamia, China, ancient Egypt (II-III centuries BC) indicate descriptions of cases of tetanus, polio, erysipelas, mumps and febrile conditions in children. It was only in the 20th century that vaccine prevention of such diseases was introduced. Historically, infectious diseases that occur primarily in children are called childhood diseases.
So, childhood infections is a group of infectious diseases that are recorded overwhelmingly in children's age group, are transmitted from a sick child to a healthy child and are capable of acquiring an epidemic spread (that is, acquiring an outbreak or mass character).
What might be the reason for classifying childhood infections into a separate group? Due to its high prevalence, the first meeting with the infectious agent occurs precisely in childhood. In rare cases, a child manages to survive to adulthood without becoming infected by patients or carriers of the causative agents of these infectious diseases. After an illness, a stable (sometimes lifelong) immunity is formed, so most adults do not suffer from these diseases again.
Due to close contacts in the children's age group, when one person becomes ill, the others are almost always infected.
1. Traditional childhood diseases with an aerogenic mechanism of infection (rubella, chickenpox, whooping cough, diphtheria, measles, scarlet fever, mumps, polio, pneumococcal infection, hemophilus influenzae)
2. Infections that occur both in the children's age group with the possibility of developing outbreaks in groups, and among adults with various mechanisms of infection (meningococcal infection, infectious mononucleosis, acute respiratory diseases, acute intestinal infections, acute viral hepatitis A).
A child can become infected with almost any infectious disease through casual contact with a sick person. The exception is the first year of a baby’s life, when maternal antibodies to many diseases circulate in his blood, which protects his body from infection when encountering an infectious pathogen.
The source of infection is humans. It can be a clinically expressed form of the disease, an asymptomatic form of the disease, or a carrier of an infectious pathogen.
One of frequently asked questions parents: when does a patient become contagious and how long can he infect?
| Disease | Beginning of the infectious period | Is a child contagious during illness? | Is a child contagious after the disappearance of complaints (recovery) |
| The period during which you can infect others (infectious period) | |||
| Rubella | 3-4 days before symptoms appear | entire period of rash + 4 days | |
| Measles | 4 days before symptoms appear | entire period of rash + 4 days | |
| Chickenpox | from the first symptoms of the disease | entire period of rash + 5 days | |
| Scarlet fever | from the first symptoms of the disease | first days of illness | not contagious |
| Whooping cough | the day before symptoms appear | 1 week of illness = 90-100% “infectivity”, 2 weeks = 65%, 3 weeks. = 35%, 4 weeks = 10% |
more than 4 weeks |
| Diphtheria | with the onset of the disease - the first symptoms | 2 weeks | more than 4 weeks, “carrier” more than 6 months |
| Mumps (mumps) | 1 – 2 days before the first symptoms | up to 9 days of illness | not contagious |
| Polio | 1-2 days before the first complaints | 3-6 weeks | |
| Hepatitis A | from 3 – 23 days | entire period of jaundice, 1 month | months |
| Dysentery | from the first symptoms of the disease | the entire period of illness | 1 – 4 weeks, months |
| Salmonellosis | from the first symptoms of the disease | the entire period of illness | 3 weeks, then more than a year in 1 – 5% of patients |
Mechanism of infection for traditional childhood infections – aerogenic, and route of infection: airborne. Nasopharyngeal mucus, bronchial secretions (sputum), and saliva are contagious; when coughing, sneezing, or talking, the patient can spray them in the form of a fine aerosol at a distance of 2-3 meters from himself. All children who are close to the sick person are in the contact zone. Some pathogens spread well over a distance. For example, the measles virus in the cold season can spread through the ventilation system in a single building (that is, patients can be from the same entrance of the house, for example). The contact and household route of transmission (household items, toys, towels) is also of epidemiological significance. In this regard, everything depends on the resistance of the pathogens during external environment. But, despite this, an example is the high infection rate of chickenpox through contact and household contact with the persistence of the virus in the external environment for only 2 hours. The causative agents of scarlet fever and diphtheria are highly resistant in the external environment, so the contact and household route is also significant. Also, in some diseases, infection occurs through the fecal-oral route (intestinal infections, hepatitis A, polio, for example), and transmission factors can be both household items - toys, furniture, dishes, and contaminated food products.
Susceptibility to childhood infections is quite high. Of course, specific prevention (vaccination) does its job. Due to it, an immunological layer of individuals is created that is immune to measles, mumps, polio, whooping cough, and diphtheria. However, unvaccinated children at risk remain quite vulnerable. Pediatric infections are characterized by the frequent occurrence of collective outbreaks of infection.
Children's infectious diseases have a clear cycle. There are several periods
diseases flowing from one another. There are: 1) incubation period; 2) prodromal period; 3) the period of the height of the disease; 4) period of convalescence (early and late).
Incubation period– this is the period from the moment the child comes into contact with the source of infection until the appearance of symptoms of the disease. During this period, the child is called a contact child and is in quarantine (under supervision medical workers). Quarantine can be minimal or maximum. Typically, the quarantine period is set to the maximum incubation period. During this period, they monitor the health of the contact child - measure the temperature, monitor the appearance of symptoms of intoxication (weakness, headaches, etc.).
Rubella from 11 to 24 days
Measles from 9 to 21 days
Chickenpox from 10 to 23 days
Scarlet fever from several hours to 12 days
Whooping cough from 3 to 20 days
Diphtheria from 1 hour to 10 days
Mumps (mumps) 11 to 26 days
Poliomyelitis from 3 to 35 days
Hepatitis A from 7 to 45 days
Dysentery from 1 to 7 days
Salmonellosis from 2 hours to 3 days
As soon as one of the complaints appears, the second period begins - premonitory, which is directly related to the onset of the disease. In most cases, the onset of illness in childhood infections is acute. The child is worried about temperature, symptoms of intoxication (weakness, chills, headaches, fatigue, sweating, loss of appetite, drowsiness, etc.). The temperature reaction may be different, but in the vast majority of children - the correct type of fever (with a maximum in the evening and a decrease in the morning), the height of the fever can vary depending on the pathogenicity of the causative agents of childhood infections, the infectious dose, the reactivity of the child's body. More often this is a febrile temperature (more than 38°) with a peak towards the end of the first or second day of illness. The duration of the prodromal period varies depending on the type of childhood infectious disease, but on average 1-3 days.
The period of the height of the disease characterized by a specific symptom complex (that is, symptoms characteristic of a specific childhood infection). The development of specific symptoms is accompanied by ongoing fever, the duration of which varies with different infections.
A specific symptom complex is the sequential occurrence of certain symptoms. For whooping cough, this is a specific cough that is dry and paroxysmal in nature with several short cough bursts and a deep wheezing breath (reprise). For mumps (mumps), this is inflammation of the parotid, submandibular and sublingual salivary glands (swelling of the parotid region, pain when touched, puffiness of the face, pain in the affected area, dry mouth). Diphtheria is characterized by specific damage to the oropharynx (enlarged tonsils, swelling and the appearance of a characteristic fibrinous grayish coating on the tonsils). For hepatitis A, the peak period is manifested by the appearance of jaundice. With polio - a characteristic lesion nervous system.
However, one of the common manifestations of childhood infections is rash (infectious exanthema). It is the rash that is “frightening” business card» infections in children and requires correct decoding. The rash can occur suddenly or in stages.
With rubella, the rash is small-spotted and then maculopapular in nature, occurring mainly on the extensor surfaces of the limbs and torso - the back, lower back, buttocks, the background of the skin is not changed. It first appears on the face, then spreads to the body during the day. Disappears without a trace.
With measles, a maculopapular rash is observed; a descending sequence of rashes is characteristic (1 day of rash - face, hairy part heads, upper part chest, 2nd day of rash - torso and upper half of arms, 3rd day of rash - lower part of arms, lower limbs, and the face turns pale), the rash tends to merge, after disappearance the skin pigmentation remains. Sometimes the rash with rubella resembles measles. In this situation, a specific symptom comes to the aid of the doctor - Filatov-Koplik spots (on inside cheek whitish-greenish papules that appear on the 2-3rd day of illness).
Filatov's spots in measles
With chickenpox, we see a vesicular rash (vesicular), the elements of which are located against a background of redness. At first it is a spot, then it rises, a vesicle with serous tissue forms. clear liquid, then the bubble dries up, the liquid disappears and a crust appears. Characterized by rashes with repeated rises in temperature every 2-3 days. The period from the moment the rash appears until the crusts completely fall off lasts 2-3 weeks.
With scarlet fever, a profuse, pinpoint rash appears on a hyperemic background of the skin (background of redness). The rash is more intense in the area of skin folds (elbows, armpits, inguinal folds). Nasolabial triangle pale and free from rash. After the rash disappears, peeling lasts 2-3 weeks.
Meningococcal infection (meningococcemia) is characterized by the appearance of a hemorrhagic rash, first small and then confluent in the form of “stars”. The rash most often appears on the buttocks, legs, arms, and eyelids.
In addition to the rash, any childhood infection is characterized by lymphadenopathy (an increase in certain groups lymph nodes) . The participation of the lymphatic system is an integral part infectious process for infections. With rubella, an increase in the posterior cervical and occipital lymph nodes is observed. With measles they increase cervical lymph nodes, with chickenpox - behind the ear and cervical, and with scarlet fever - anterior cervical lymph nodes. With mononucleosis, there is a strong enlargement of the posterior cervical lymph nodes (packets of lymph nodes are visible when the child turns his head).
Period of convalescence (recovery) characterized by the extinction of all symptoms of infection, restoration of the functions of affected organs and systems, and the formation of immunity. Early convalescence lasts up to 3 months, late convalescence affects a period of up to 6-12 months, and less often longer.
Another feature of childhood infections is the diversity clinical forms. Highlight
manifest forms (with characteristic symptoms of the disease) mild, moderate, severe, erased forms, subclinical (asymptomatic), abortive forms (interruption of the course of infection).
The expected complexity of infections in children is also the danger rapid development heavy
complications. These may be: infectious-toxic shock at the onset of the disease (critical drop in pressure, which is more often observed with meningococcal infection, scarlet fever), neurotoxicosis at high temperature ( developing edema brain), sudden cessation of breathing or apnea with whooping cough (due to depression of the respiratory center), true croup syndrome with diphtheria (due to powerful toxic edema of the oropharynx), viral lesions brain (rubella encephalitis, measles encephalitis, chickenpox encephalitis), dehydration syndrome (with acute intestinal infections), broncho-obstructive syndrome, hemolyticouremic syndrome, DIC syndrome.
Considering all of the above, it is necessary to maintain a critical attitude towards the child’s condition and promptly seek medical help.
1) Febrile temperature(38° and above).
2) Severe symptoms intoxication (lethargy, drowsiness of the child).
3) The appearance of a rash.
4) Vomiting and severe headache.
5) The appearance of any symptoms against a background of high temperature.
A preliminary diagnosis is made by a pediatrician. The following are important: the patient’s contact with other patients with infection, data on vaccinations (vaccinations), characteristic symptoms infections.
The final diagnosis is made after laboratory tests.
- Non-specific methods ( general analysis blood, urine, feces, biochemical research blood, blood electrolyte studies), instrumental methods diagnostics (radiography, ultrasound, MRI if indicated)
- Specific methods to identify pathogens and/or their antigens (virological, bacteriological, PCR), as well as to detect antibodies to pathogens in the blood (ELISA, RNGA, RTGA, RA, RPGA and others).
The goal of treatment is recovery little patient and restoration of impaired functions of organs and systems is achieved by solving the following tasks:
1) fight against the pathogen and its toxins;
2) maintaining the functions of vital organs and systems;
3) increasing the immunological reactivity (resistance) of the child’s body;
4) prevention of complications of childhood infection.
Treatment objectives are carried out by carrying out the following activities:
1. Timely detection and, if necessary, hospitalization of a sick child, creating a protective regime for him - bed rest in severe and moderate condition, good nutrition, drinking regime.
2. Etiotropic therapy (specific drugs aimed at suppressing the growth or destroying the infectious agent). Depending on the infection, antibacterial drugs are prescribed, antivirals. Incorrect interpretation of the diagnosis and prescription of etiotropic treatment not according to the profile will lead to a possible worsening of the infection and the development of complications.
3. Pathogenetic therapy mainly related to infusion therapy solutions of a certain direction (glucose-saline solutions, colloids, plasma, blood preparations), as well as specific parenteral drugs (protease inhibitors, glucocorticosteroids and others), immunomodulators.
4. Syndromic therapy is carried out for any infection (antipyretics, antiemetics, vasoconstrictors, expectorants, antitussives, antihistamines and many others).
1) Strengthening the child’s body and increasing its resistance to infections (hygiene, hardening, walks on fresh air, good nutrition)
2) Timely consultation with a doctor at the first symptoms of infection
3) Specific prevention pediatric infections- vaccination. For many childhood infections, vaccination is included in the National Vaccination Calendar - measles, rubella, diphtheria, polio, mumps, hepatitis B). Currently, vaccines have been created for other infections (chickenpox, meningococcal infection, pneumococcal infection, hemophilus influenzae infection). Parents’ neglect of routine vaccination of children without specific medical reasons creates a vulnerable layer of non-immune children, primarily susceptible to infection by infectious pathogens.
Infectious disease doctor N.I. Bykova
Childhood infections are the name given to a group of infectious diseases that people experience mainly in childhood. These usually include chickenpox (chickenpox), rubella, mumps (mumps), measles, scarlet fever, polio, whooping cough, and diphtheria. Infections are transmitted from a sick child to a healthy child.
After an illness, a stable (sometimes lifelong) immunity is formed, so people rarely get sick with these infections again. Now there are vaccines for almost all childhood infections.
It is caused by the herpes virus, which is transmitted by airborne droplets from sick children to healthy ones. The incubation period is from 10 to 21 days.
The disease begins with a rise in temperature, which is accompanied by the appearance of a rash in the form of spots and general malaise. Over time, the spots turn into bubbles with a clear liquid, which burst, dry out, and then crusts form. A typical difference between chickenpox and other diseases accompanied by rashes is the presence of a rash on the scalp. All elements of the rash are simultaneously present on the patient’s skin: spots, blisters, and crusts. New additions are possible within 5-7 days. Drying of the wound and formation of crusts is accompanied by severe itching.
A patient with chickenpox is contagious from the moment the first element of the rash appears and for another 5 days after the appearance of the last element.
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Treatment
At normal course chickenpox does not require treatment. The main thing is hygiene and good care, which help prevent the elements of the rash from suppuration.
In Russia, it is customary to lubricate bubbles with brilliant green. In fact, this is not necessary - in Western countries, for example, brilliant green is not used. In many ways, its use is really inconvenient: it stains laundry and does not wash off for a long time. But our tradition also has its advantages. If you mark new elements of the rash with brilliant green, it is easy to track the moment when the rash stopped.
If the temperature rises above 38 °C, the child should be given an antipyretic drug, preferably paracetamol-based medications. Don't forget about antihistamines and topical balms and ointments to relieve itching. The use of antiherpetic drugs is not recommended: a child does not develop immunity when taking them, and re-infection is possible.
Prevention
There is a vaccine against the chickenpox virus, it is registered in Russia, but it is not included in the National Vaccination Calendar, that is, it is not given to everyone for free. Parents can vaccinate their child for money at vaccination centers.
The disease begins with an increase in body temperature (usually no higher than 38 °C), slight soreness and moderate redness of the mucous membranes appear. In severe cases, the temperature immediately rises to 40 °C, the child complains of a headache and sore throat, sometimes in the stomach. The tonsils may become so swollen that they make breathing difficult.
Treatment
The child is hospitalized and given anti-diphtheria serum. After hospitalization, the room in which the patient was located is disinfected. All persons who were in contact with him are subject to bacteriological examination and medical observation for 7 days. Children who have been in contact with the patient are prohibited from visiting child care facilities for this period.
Prevention
All children are vaccinated against diphtheria with the combined DTP vaccine. In rare cases, a vaccinated child may also get sick, but the disease will be mild.
An infection that is transmitted by airborne droplets and causes a painful cough. The source of infection is a sick person. The incubation period is from 3 to 14 days (usually 7-9). There are three periods during the course of the disease.
The catarrhal period is characterized by the appearance of a persistent dry cough, which gradually intensifies. A runny nose and an increase in temperature to low-grade fever may also occur (but more often it remains normal). This period can last from three days to two weeks.
The spasmodic, or convulsive, period is characterized by coughing attacks. They consist of cough impulses - short exhalations, following one after another. From time to time the tremors are interrupted by a reprise - an inhalation, which is accompanied by a whistling sound. The attack ends with discharge thick mucus, maybe vomiting. The severity of the attacks increases over 1-3 weeks, then stabilizes, then the attacks become more rare and disappear. The duration of the convulsive period can be from 2 to 8 weeks, but often lasts longer.
After this, the resolution period begins. At this time, the cough, which seems to have gone away, may return, but the patient is not contagious.
Treatment
Antibiotics from the macrolide group and antitussives are prescribed central action, bronchodilators in inhalation. Play an important role in therapy non-drug methods: stay in the fresh air, gentle regimen, eat high-calorie foods, small amounts, but often.
Prevention
Vaccination against whooping cough is included in the National Calendar and is given to children free of charge. Sometimes vaccinated children also get sick, but in a mild form.
A viral infection that is spread by airborne droplets. The source of infection is a sick person. The incubation period is 8-17 days, but can be extended to 21 days.
Measles begins with an increase in temperature to 38.5-39 ° C, a runny nose, a dry cough, and the appearance of photophobia. The child may experience vomiting, abdominal pain, loose stool. At this time, on the mucous membranes of the cheeks and lips, on the gums, grayish-white spots the size of poppy seeds, surrounded by a red corolla, can be found. This early symptom measles, allowing diagnosis before the rash appears.
Rash - small pink spots- occurs on the 4-5th day of illness. The first elements appear behind the ears, on the back of the nose. By the end of the first day, it covers the face and neck, and is localized on the chest and upper back. On the second day it spreads to the torso, and on the third day it covers the arms and legs.
Treatment
Used in the treatment of measles antiviral drugs, as well as immunomodulators. In severe cases, may be prescribed intravenous injections immunoglobulin. The rest of the treatment is symptomatic.
Bed rest is needed not only on days of high temperature, but also for 2-3 days after it decreases.
Having measles affects the nervous system. The child becomes capricious, irritable, and gets tired quickly. Schoolchildren should be freed from overload for 2-3 weeks, the child up to school age prolong sleep, walks.
Prevention
The first measles vaccination is given to all children a year, the second at 7 years of age.
A typical manifestation of rubella is swelling and mild tenderness of the posterior cervical, occipital and other lymph nodes. At the same time (or 1-2 days later), a pale pink, small-spotted rash appears on the face and entire body. After another 2-3 days it disappears without a trace. The rash may be accompanied by a slight rise in body temperature, mild impairments in the functioning of the respiratory tract. But often such symptoms do not occur.
Complications are extremely rare. Rubella is dangerous only if a pregnant woman contracts it, especially in the first months. The disease can cause severe fetal malformations.
Treatment
There is currently no specific treatment for rubella. In the acute period, the patient must remain in bed. When the temperature rises, antipyretic drugs are used, and for an itchy rash, antihistamines are used.
Prevention
Not long ago, the rubella vaccine was introduced into the National Calendar.
Infection occurs by airborne droplets. The incubation period is from 11 to 21 days.
The disease begins with an increase in temperature to 38-39 °C and headache. A tumor appears behind the auricle, first on one side, and after 1-2 days on the other side. The patient becomes infectious 1-2 days before symptoms appear and sheds the virus for the first 5-7 days of illness.
Teenage boys often also develop orchitis - inflammation of the testicle: pain occurs in the scrotum, the testicle increases in size, and the scrotum swells. The swelling goes away in 5-7 days. Severe orchitis, especially bilateral, can lead to infertility in the future.Inflammation of the pancreas is also typical for mumps infection, which makes itself felt with cramping, sometimes girdling abdominal pain, nausea, and loss of appetite.
Serous meningitis is also common. This complication is manifested by a new jump in temperature on the 3-6th day of illness, headache, vomiting, hypersensitivity to sound and visual stimuli. The child becomes lethargic, drowsy, sometimes has hallucinations, convulsive twitching, and may experience loss of consciousness. But these phenomena, if timely and rational therapy do not last long and do not affect the subsequent development of the child.
Treatment
As prescribed by the doctor, antiviral, immunomodulatory, antipyretic, and painkillers are given, and a dry warming compress is applied to the salivary glands.
For orchitis, consultation with a surgeon or urologist is mandatory; treatment in a hospital setting is often required. With serous meningitis, the child requires constant medical supervision in a hospital.
Prevention
To prevent mumps infection, all children are vaccinated in accordance with the National Vaccination Schedule.
The disease is caused by group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus. You can become infected not only from a patient with scarlet fever, but also from patients with streptococcal tonsillitis. The incubation period is 2-7 days. The patient becomes contagious from the moment of illness. If the disease proceeds without complications, then after 7-10 days the release of streptococcus stops. If complications develop, the infectious period is prolonged.
The disease usually begins with a sudden increase in temperature, vomiting, and sore throat. After a few hours, and sometimes the next day, a rash appears. It is small, plentiful, and somewhat harsh to the touch. The rash is especially thick on the cheeks. Other typical sites for intense rashes are the sides, lower abdomen, groin, armpits, and popliteal areas. The rash lasts 3-5 days. Mild scarlet fever occurs with short-term rashes.
A constant symptom of scarlet fever is sore throat. In the first days, the tongue becomes covered with a gray-yellow coating, and from the 2-3rd day it begins to clear from the edges and tip, becoming crimson. The lymph nodes at the angles of the lower jaw become enlarged and hurt when touched.
Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus can also infect the heart, joints, and kidneys, so it is necessary timely treatment diseases.
Treatment
In the first 5-6 days, the child should remain in bed, then he is allowed to get up, but until the 11th day the regime remains at home. Kindergarten and school can be attended no earlier than 22 days from the onset of the disease.The child is prescribed antibiotics. Use combination drugs for a sore throat, like a sore throat. Antipyretics are given if necessary. A gentle diet and plenty of fluids are recommended.
Three weeks after the onset of the disease, it is recommended to do an electrocardiogram, take a urine test and show the child to an otolaryngologist to make sure there are no complications.
Prevention
A patient with scarlet fever should be isolated in a separate room; he should be given separate tableware and a towel. Isolation of the patient ends after recovery, but not earlier than 10 days from the onset of the disease. There is no vaccine for this disease.
Childhood diseases a group of diseases that occur predominantly or exclusively in childhood and are associated with the developmental characteristics of the child’s body. The intensive growth and development of a child is determined by the anatomical and physiological characteristics of his body and the uniqueness of the pathology. Even diseases that occur predominantly in adults have a unique course in children, which also depends on the age of the child. In the development of a child in medical practice distinguish two periods - intrauterine and extrauterine, which, in turn, is conventionally divided into following periods: newborns (first 18-24 days), infancy (up to 1 year), early childhood (from 1 to 3 years), preschool (from 3 to 7 years), junior school (from 7 to 12 years), senior school (from 12 to 17 years old) and teenager (15-17 years old). Each age period is characterized by certain groups of diseases. During the neonatal period (see Newborn baby), the body adapts to new living conditions. Functional systems his body is in a state of unstable equilibrium, which is easily disturbed. During this period, changes are detected in the child’s body associated with fetal developmental disorders during prenatal period(intrauterine asphyxia of the fetus; maternal disease: Listeriosis, Toxoplasmosis, Rubella, Influenza, etc.; the effect on her body of certain chemicals, for example alcohol, radiant energy, etc.). From the first days after birth, malformations, prematurity, consequences of birth trauma (intracranial hemorrhage, etc.), hemolytic disease of the newborn, as well as some hereditary diseases, appear. The high sensitivity of newborns to coccal and viral infections causes the frequent occurrence of purulent-septic diseases of the skin and navel, acute viral and bacterial diseases respiratory organs. Rapid increase in the child's body weight in infancy(see Infant) and intensive metabolism determine the child’s significant need for food (per 1 kg A child’s body weight is 2-2.5 times more caloric than an adult’s). Thus, the load on the child’s functionally imperfect digestive system is sharply increased, which causes frequent development in children of this age gastrointestinal diseases(Dyspepsia), as well as diseases gastrointestinal tract caused by bacteria and viruses (Dysentery, colienteritis, viral diarrhea), and chronic disorders nutrition (childhood dystrophy), especially if its regime is violated. Improper feeding, insufficient use of air and sun can lead to the development of Rickets. Due to the child’s great need for oxygen, the functional load on his respiratory organs is increased (the number of breaths per minute and the amount of air passed through is relatively greater than that of an adult), the tenderness and vulnerability of the mucous membranes of the respiratory organs cause their frequent diseases. At this age, pneumonia (See Pneumonia) of bacterial and viral origin is not uncommon. In early childhood and preschool age, the incidence of acute childhood infections increases: Measles, Whooping cough, chickenpox (See Chicken pox), scarlet fever (See Scarlet fever), diphtheria (See Diphtheria), and tuberculosis. This is explained by a decrease in the titer of antibodies (see Immunity) received by the child from the mother, as well as by the increasing contact of children with peers and others. Diseases in the development of which Allergy plays a major role are becoming more frequent ( bronchial asthma, rheumatism, eczema, nephritis, etc.). In children of primary school age, along with acute infectious diseases, disorders are observed internal secretion, the incidence of rheumatism, heart and nervous system diseases is increasing. In high school and adolescence During puberty, internal secretion disorders and abnormalities of the genital area may be detected. Psychoneuroses, rheumatism, disorders are more common cardiovascular system, in particular vascular dystonia; exacerbations of tuberculosis are possible. Prevention D. b.: Antenatal fetal protection, prevention birth injuries, careful care of newborns, correct mode nutrition and hardening, fight against infectious diseases (preventive vaccinations against tuberculosis, smallpox, diphtheria, measles, etc.); ensuring normal physical development(physical education, sports, hardening the body from a very early age). Lit.: Belousov V. A., Textbook of childhood diseases, M., 1963; Tur A.F., Propaedeutics of childhood diseases, 5th ed., Leningrad, 1967. R. N. Ryleeva, M. Ya. Studenikin.
Great Soviet Encyclopedia. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. 1969-1978 .
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This article was written for you, dear parents, so that you are aware of what dangerous childhood diseases exist, the causes of their occurrence, and symptoms. Knowing this information, you may be able to avoid these ailments, or at least quickly diagnose and cure them, we hope that this information will help you at least a little.
We have collected ten dangerous childhood diseases, this does not mean that they are the most dangerous of the existing ailments, we selected them according to several criteria - prevalence, complexity of treatment, possible consequences and danger to future life child. Well, let's get started.
Salmonellosis – intestinal infection, which is caused by various microbes of the genus Salmonella. Salmonella bacteria survive quite well in the external environment and transmit low temperature, but they die from the high. These bacteria multiply in meat, eggs, milk and related products, and can produce toxins that can damage the intestinal mucosa.
The main route of illness for salmonellosis is food. Salmonella enters the child’s body with food that is not cooked immediately before eating (cheese, cakes). Once in the body, salmonella release toxins that lead to damage to many organs and also damage the intestinal mucosa.
The onset of the disease begins with nausea and vomiting, then the temperature rises to 38-39 degrees, characterized by a lack of appetite and abdominal pain. The frequency of stool depends on the degree of infection, and soon the child becomes dehydrated.
Staphylococcal infection is a group of diseases that are caused by staphylococcus, having various clinical manifestations, general intoxication of the body, purulent-inflammatory foci throughout the body. Staphylococci are a whole genus of microorganisms, 14 of them live on our body and mucous membranes, and only 3 pose a threat to human health. The most dangerous Staphylococcus aureus, it can cause more than 100 diseases. Next comes Staphylococcus epidermidis - it is less dangerous than Staphylococcus aureus and appears in weakened children (after operations, severe illnesses). Well, the latter is a saprophytic staphylococcus; cases of infection with its participation are very rare.
Infection with staphylococcus in children most often occurs from humans (medical staff, relatives, friends), as well as through dirty hands. In addition, this infection quickly spreads in food products (confectionery and dairy products, fresh salads).
Symptoms and consequences after infection with staphylococcus can be different, depending on what area of the body is damaged and what disease was caused, here are some examples of diseases: boils, osteomyelitis, arthritis, sore throat, otitis media, sinusitis, pneumonia, poisoning, meningitis and many other diseases.
Hepatitis A or as it is also called Botkin's disease is infectious disease which affects the liver. This virus is transmitted through food, water, from another person with hepatitis A, as well as dirty hands smeared in feces. This is why it is very important to wash your hands after using the toilet and walking, and wash your food before eating. The insidiousness of this disease is that it cannot be detected immediately if healthy child communicated with a patient with hepatitis and became infected, then symptoms may appear only 2-4 weeks after this communication.
Symptoms of hepatitis A begin with an increase in temperature from 37.5 to 39 degrees, along with weakness, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain in the right hypochondrium. Then, before the onset of jaundice itself, two obvious symptoms appear: the urine becomes dark (the color of beer), and the feces, on the contrary, turn white. Well, then comes yellowing of the skin.
Miliaria are small pink dots on the baby’s skin, they appear suddenly, and, as a rule, after a walk or sleep, this is the main symptom of prickly heat. This disease, if treated in time, behaves passively, nothing bothers the child, no fever or discomfort. But if it is not treated, the irritated skin can become inflamed, and purulent skin diseases begin.
The fact is that in infants the body first gets used to environment. Therefore, it functions a little differently, not like an adult. As soon as the child becomes hot, sweat glands, in order to protect the baby from overheating, they produce a certain liquid, and if something disrupts normal sweating (the skin is covered with a thick layer of cream, or the child is dressed too warmly), then this liquid accumulates in the glands. And as a result, the skin becomes irritated and bright pink, and a small reddish rash appears on it.
It is not so easy to recognize this disease, because infants and young children are more susceptible to it, and at this age your child cannot explain what is wrong with him. If the baby has a runny nose and cough, and after 3-5 days it’s added to everything high temperature, an ear infection may be to blame, the child may delay sore ear, be in a very bad mood, and if the baby already knows how to walk, then problems with balance may arise.
What causes ear infection? It's all about eustachian tube, which connects the middle ear to the nasopharynx, and drains fluid from the middle ear. Usually the fluid is removed without problems, but in children, unlike adults, the tube is located more horizontally and does not work very effectively, and it can also swell from a cold, allergy or runny nose, which will interfere with the removal of fluid and it will accumulate in the middle ear. Any bacteria that are in the liquid at this time begin to multiply quickly in a warm environment, causing pus to form, become inflamed and increase in size eardrum. And then this condition is called purulent acute middle ear.
Mumps is an infectious disease that most of all affects the glands near the ear, and after suffering from the disease, a strong immunity to this disease remains for life. Mostly children aged 3-15 years, adults can also get sick, but these are isolated cases. Since this viral infection, then infection most often occurs from a patient with mumps (airborne), that is, when talking, sneezing, coughing, the virus from a sick child through the oral cavity or nasal mucosa healthy baby penetrates the blood, and then enters the genital, salivary and pancreas glands, where reproduction occurs, bacteria accumulate, and again in large quantities enters the blood.
The disease has an incubation period of 11 to 23 days, after which a rise in temperature begins, loss of appetite, resulting in malaise and headache. After a couple of days, tension appears in the area around the ear, nagging pain, there is pain when chewing. After this, swelling appears in front, behind and below the ear, which means an inflammatory increase in the parotid salivary gland. The disease can have an extremely unpleasant complication in the form of orchitis (inflammation of the testicles in boys), oophoritis (inflammation of the ovaries in girls), which in the future may affect reproductive function your child.
Poliomyelitis is infantile spinal paralysis, an infectious disease that affects the gray matter of the spinal cord by the so-called poliovirus. Mostly children under the age of 10 get sick; this infection is transmitted by airborne droplets, through contaminated things, water and food. Calls various shapes paralysis, which in 50 percent of cases are completely cured, and the remaining 50% remain with moderate and severe impairments. In addition, there are a number of complications: muscle atrophy, interstitial myocarditis, pulmonary atelectasis, limb deformation, etc.
The incubation period of this disease lasts 3-14 days, after which the main symptoms of the disease begin, which are very similar to colds (cough, sore throat, runny nose, headaches), but all this is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, tension in the muscles of the neck and head .
Whooping cough is an infectious disease that affects respiratory tract, and manifests itself in attacks convulsive cough. Most often, children under 5 years old suffer from this disease. Infection with whooping cough can only occur through airborne droplets, since this pathogen is extremely unstable in the external environment, so infection through ordinary objects is not possible.
So, the infection enters the blood through the respiratory tract, after which it spreads throughout the body. After this, the incubation period begins, lasting from 3 days to 2 weeks. Symptoms of the disease are general malaise, loss of appetite, a cough, runny nose, and fever up to 40 degrees (usually in the evening). Later, the cough attacks in attacks, often during sleep, chest pain and burning appear. Breathing becomes noisy, viscous sputum is difficult to clear. During attacks, the child's face may turn blue. At proper treatment the cough goes away in a couple of weeks, in severe cases a couple of months, and if something goes wrong, pneumonia can develop.
An umbilical hernia is a consequence of a defect in the anterior abdominal wall baby, caused by weakness of the umbilical ring. Statistics show that most often this disease occurs in male newborns, the reasons for this are still not clear. In addition to hereditary predisposition, doctors believe that the appearance of an umbilical hernia depends on many physical, chemical and biological factors which affect the fetus even in intrauterine development.
There are two types of umbilical hernia:
Of the symptoms, perhaps only one can be identified, this is a convex lump near the navel, which looks very much like a pea.
– an infectious disease caused by streptococcus. More often, this disease affects children from 2 to 7 years old, and mainly in the autumn-winter period. This virus is transmitted by airborne droplets (by sneezing, talking, coughing), since the causative agent of scarlet fever is found in the saliva and sputum of the patient, which is dangerous to others during the course of the entire disease. The virus also tends to persist for some time on objects that have been touched by a sick child, and accordingly they are also a source of infection.
As soon as streptococcus enters the mucous membrane, it begins to multiply, and inflammation occurs in their place. In this case, streptococcus releases a toxin, which, when released into the blood, causes malaise, rash, and nerve damage.
Symptoms, like many other diseases, do not appear immediately; there is an incubation period of 2-11 days, after which a rise in temperature, sore throat, malaise, and sometimes vomiting begins. Later, a rash appears, but not everywhere at once, first on the neck, upper back, and then quickly throughout the body. The rash is bright pink, the size of a poppy seed. Also, the tongue will be covered with a white coating for the first 2-3 days, after which the coating will disappear and it will turn bright red. All symptoms persist for an average of 5 days, after which they will slowly begin to disappear.
This is where this general informational article ends, the main thing to remember, dear parents, is not to joke with your child’s health, reading this or similar material does not make you an expert in the field of medicine, it is better to trust the professionals, because we are talking about the health of your baby. Such material is for informational purposes only, for general development, so that you can monitor the progress of your child’s illness, and not stand on the sidelines, not knowing anything. We hope that we have helped you at least a little, good luck and health to you and your children!
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Pediatrics is an independent field of medicine that studies age characteristics child development, childhood illnesses, as well as issues of organizing care for a healthy and sick child. Initially, the subject of pediatrics was exclusively early childhood diseases and their treatment. In the modern understanding, pediatrics covers various aspects related to normal development and diseases of children in various age periods(from birth to puberty). These areas include physiology, hygiene, dietetics, childhood diseases, their treatment and prevention.
In pediatric medicine, several areas are developing in parallel: preventive, clinical and social. The preventive direction includes the development and implementation of measures to prevent childhood diseases; clinical – direct examination and treatment of a sick child; social – gradual rehabilitation and integration of children into society. The anatomical and physiological characteristics of a growing organism determine the unique course of those diseases that occur in childhood.
In pediatrics, it is customary to distinguish several age periods of a child’s life: the neonatal period (first month), infancy (from 1 month to 1 year), early childhood (from 1 to 3 years), preschool (from 3 to 7 years), primary school ( from 7 to 11 years old), high school or teenage (from 12 to 17-18 years old) age. At different age periods of a child’s development, certain childhood diseases predominantly occur.
Thus, during the newborn period, childhood diseases caused by disorders of intrauterine development appear (asphyxia, hemolytic disease of the fetus, rickets
Most frequent symptoms Children's diseases include rash, swollen lymph nodes, hyperthermia, runny nose, cough, vomiting, abdominal pain, cramps. If these and other signs of the disease appear, it is imperative to consult your child with a pediatrician. Every parent should be familiar with the basics of pediatrics, know the main childhood diseases and their manifestations in order to be able to assess the severity of the baby’s condition and determine whether the ailment poses an immediate threat to life.
Pediatrics does not stand still: new methods for diagnosing and treating childhood diseases are emerging and being implemented, and understanding of the mechanisms of disease development in children is developing and deepening. The successes of modern pediatrics have made many once fatal childhood diseases recede. This was facilitated by the creation of vaccines against a number of childhood infectious diseases, the development of balanced artificial mixtures, and the emergence of modern antibacterial drugs, improving the quality of diagnosis and treatment of children. However, childhood morbidity rates remain high; Diseases that were previously considered exclusively the province of people have become significantly “younger” mature age. Among childhood diseases, cardiovascular, endocrine, neurological diseases, neoplasms, pathology of the musculoskeletal system.
A child is not just a small copy of an adult. The child's body is in a state continuous development, has a number of anatomical and physiological characteristics, physical and emotional immaturity, which determines the specific course of childhood diseases. The development of childhood diseases is always unpredictable: even a common runny nose in a child can become fatal if its causes are not recognized in time, the correct etiopathogenetic treatment is not selected, and specialist supervision is not organized. At the same time, thanks to the high compensatory capabilities of the child’s body, many diseases that cause chronic pathology or disability, can be successfully treated in children.
The origins of many adult diseases come from childhood. Therefore, the health status of an adult is largely determined by the conditions of growth and development of the little man, and by care for his health at the very beginning of life. Today, the emphasis in pediatric medicine is shifting towards disease prevention, which includes antenatal fetal protection, prevention of birth injuries, organization of careful care for the newborn (ensuring optimal diet, sleep and wakefulness, hardening), timely vaccination of children according to national calendar preventive vaccinations, screening programs to identify hereditary pathology, providing patronage and dispensary observation. Caring for children's health and prevention of childhood diseases is a priority component of state policy.
Specialized care in the children's healthcare system is provided in children's clinics and hospitals, pediatric departments multidisciplinary medical centers, private children's clinics. It is impossible and ineffective to treat childhood diseases using “adult” methods, therefore, in recent years, narrow pediatric areas have been distinguished in pediatrics: pediatric cardiac surgery, pediatric traumatology and orthopedics, pediatric neurosurgery, pediatric hematology and oncology, pediatric anesthesiology and resuscitation, etc. The most important components of success in treatment childhood diseases are professional approach, the use of high-tech diagnostic and treatment methods, trusting relationships between the doctor, parents and child.
Childhood illnesses cause natural anxiety in adults and a natural desire of parents to learn as much as possible about the causes of diseases and methods of treating them. The section of childhood diseases, located on the pages of the Medical Directory, introduces parents to the most common pathology in children of different ages, causes and symptoms of diseases necessary medical procedures and child care activities. On the pages of the site “Beauty and Medicine” you can find recommendations from pediatric specialists and the most up-to-date information about achievements in the field of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of childhood diseases.
