Antibiotics for babies are often the only way to recover quickly. Like all drugs, however, they have side effects - diarrhea or lack of appetite. How to give an antibiotic to a child so that it works effectively and at the same time does not cause undesirable effects? How to take care of a child during antibiotic treatment? Should I give him probiotics and vitamins?

Whenantibiotics for babiesare necessary andhow to administer themso that they work effectively and do not harm?Antibioticsare chemical compounds - synthetic or of natural origin (e.g. from mold) that either kill bacteria or inhibit their reproduction. As a result, it extinguishes the infection outbreak.

There is no drug that would fight bacterial and fungal infections more effectively, such as acute otitis media, urinary tract infection or streptococcal pharyngitis and tonsillitis.

That's why every child will be prescribed an antibiotic sooner or later. Only some of the commercially available antibiotics are recommended for children. The most common drugs are penicillins, cephalosporins and macrolides. Some antibiotics, such as tetracyclines, are avoided by doctors because they have many side effects, including have a bad effect on dental buds and teeth.

Antibiotic treatment: protection of the bacterial flora

Some antibiotics, such as V-ciline or macrolides, do not destroy the bacterial flora of the digestive tract. But there are also those that kill all bacteria - not only those that are harmful, but also those living in the digestive tract that are beneficial to the body.

During treatment with such antibiotics, it is easy to develop ailments that parents are very worried about - diarrhea, abdominal pain, mycosis. These fears are not unfounded: research has shown that 11 to 40 percent of children suffer from more or less severe intestinal complications during antibiotic therapy. To prevent them, from the beginning of the treatment and for a few days after its completion, the child must be given a so-called cover, i.e. a probiotic preparation containing live bacteria, whose task is, among others, rebuilding the damaged bacterial flora in the intestines. If your baby is bottle-fed, feed him as wellblend enriched with probiotics. Global studies have shown that doing so reduces the risk of antibiotic diarrhea by half.

Probiotics can be administered not only preventively, but also during diarrhea, because this can shorten its duration.

However, the type of preparation is important - scientific studies have shown that the activity of individual probiotic bacteria strains is different and not all of them are equally effective. The most effective, according to medical statistics, are preparations containingLactobacillus rhamnosus GGandSaccharomyces boulardii .

strains

TheBifidobacterium lactis Bb12strain, added to some milk mixtures with probiotics, also works favorably. However, it is not only the type of probiotic that matters, but also the dose and when it will be administered. Some manufacturers of probiotics suggest keeping an interval of several hours between the antibiotic and the probiotic, others - to administer it simultaneously. However, it is worth knowing that giving your child two drugs at the same time may provoke vomiting. It should also be remembered that a child should take a dose of at least 5 billion bacterial colonies a day. Therefore, it is worth reading the leaflet carefully, where the number of probiotics in one dose is described and the recommended dosage is given.

Treatment with antibiotics: favorable conditions

Even without digestive ailments, a sick child will be weakened. Therefore, it is important to provide him with appropriate conditions for being ill. During the day, it is best to place it in a room where it is quiet, there is no draft and no noise, because the child can now be irritated by all the sounds. At night you can move them to your bed, or - if he doesn't object - leave them in his own bed. The room where the baby sleeps should be well ventilated and not too warm - if the baby is given antibiotics because of a respiratory tract infection, it should not be higher than 18 ° C, because in such conditions the baby breathes better. It is worth turning on the humidifier to ensure the appropriate level of humidity. Also, do not deny your child closeness, wear them in your arms when he wants to. A baby under loving care will recover faster.

Treatment with antibiotics does not exclude bathing

A child who takes an antibiotic is the same little man as ever. Also during illness, you need to wash his face and hands every day, wipe his gums and, if necessary, cut his nails. You can bathe them, unless the doctor has specifically forbidden it, and your bathroom is warm enough to keep your baby from getting wet.went cold.

Water with a temperature two degrees lower than the child's body temperature helps to reduce the fever.

Bathing is recommended especially when the child has antibiotic diarrhea or has a fever. It must be very warm in the bathroom. If your child is not sweating intensively, however, you can refrain from washing your head in order not to add additional stress to your child.

Antibiotic treatment affects the child's appetite

Sick children usually have a worse appetite. This must be respected, even if you are concerned that your recovery may be delayed as a result. It is only important that your child drinks a lot, especially if he has a fever. After a few days of treatment, the child will regain strength, and with it, the appetite. What to feed him then? It depends on the way it is fed. If he only gets formula milk, in consultation with the doctor, it is worth changing it to one that contains probiotics (but it must also be given to the baby additionally). If your baby is already eating solid foods, give him the usual (don't experiment with new foods).

Antibiotic therapy can cause a temporary deficiency of some vitamins (they are produced by bacteria in the intestines, which the antibiotic destroys). Providing vitamins by natural means is most advisable, while synthetic vitamins can react with antibiotics, besides (with the exception of vitamin C) they often have a positive effect on the development of pathogenic microorganisms, which may extend the child's recovery. It is better to give them to the child after completing the antibiotic treatment, unless the doctor specifically recommends otherwise.

Important

If your child refuses to drink during diarrhea, they lose more fluid than they are taking. Symptoms of dehydration may then appear (the fontanel appears sunken, the diaper is dry for too long). Go to the doctor with him as soon as possible, because this condition is life-threatening.

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