What kind of diseases do not have to face the parents of young children. It seems that I just survived one thing and here again: whims, fever and new threatening symptoms. Especially frequent is stomatitis in children, which has different symptoms and can be caused by several pathogens at once.
Stomatitis is a disease caused by inflammation of the oral mucosa. In a special risk group are children under 5 years old. Its cause is considered to be an infection (bacterial or viral, fungal). It should be noted that stomatitis in children rarely manifests itself as an independent disease. As a rule, this is a consequence of other infectious processes in the body (flu, scarlet fever, measles and others).
Types of Stomatitis
Infectious - can manifest itself with any infectious disease caused by microbes, bacteria or fungi. For example, viruses can cause measles or chickenpox, microbes - pneumonia, tonsillitis, otitis media, and stomatitis can manifest itself as one of the symptoms of the underlying disease.
Microbial - its causative agents are staphylococci and streptococci. In this case, the child’s lips are gradually covered with a thickened yellowish crust and may begin to stick together. The mouth opens hard, the temperature rises. The entry of bacteria on the mucosa leads to plaque and vesicles that are filled with pus. Microbial stomatitis can occur repeatedly during the year if the child is susceptible to colds. He is also a frequent companion of pneumonia, sore throat, otitis media and allergic diseases.
Traumatic - mechanical damage to the oral mucosa. A child may accidentally injure himself with any object during the game, burn himself with hot liquids (tea, milk, soup), bite his cheek, tongue or lip, damage the mucous membrane with candy, and so on. Infants can injure the sky with a pacifier or a dummy.
As a result, redness appears around a scratch, wound or cut. If the damage is minor, it will pass by itself. To do this, it will be enough to treat it with a solution of potassium permanganate by wrapping a bandage around the finger and moistening it in potassium permanganate. However, as a result of complications, the baby can experience pain, it is difficult for him to eat and drink. Therefore, urgent medical advice is needed here.
Herpetic stomatitis - a child can become infected with it by airborne droplets or through dirty toys and hands, as well as from adults themselves. At risk are children from one to three years old, since a child’s protective antibodies received from the mother gradually disappear in a child at this age, and his own immune system has not yet been fully formed.
In this case, the disease is contagious and can be transmitted in the process of communication to other children, as well as through hygiene items and common utensils.
Allergic - appears along with an allergic reaction of the child's body to some food product that does not fit the body. The main symptoms are swelling of the oral mucosa, dryness, itching, and burning. Redness or white spots may appear on the tongue.
The first step is to find out what causes such an allergic reaction and exclude this food product. To prevent this from happening in the future, doctors recommend creating a diary to record the baby’s reactions to various products. If symptoms of allergic stomatitis appear, rinse your mouth with furatsilinom, a solution of calendula or saline.
Fungal stomatitis in children in other words, thrush. It is caused by a special kind of yeast fungus, which is also found in the oral cavity of a healthy person. The main symptom is a white coating, similar to the curd mass. As a rule, thrush develops in premature and weakened children with reduced immunity. In older children, it may be the result of prolonged use of antibiotics.
Prevention of stomatitis in children
1. In the oral cavity of an adult, fungi are frequent “guests”. Therefore, it is not recommended to kiss the child, especially if you have signs of herpes. Make sure that the baby is not in society with sick children.
2. Carefully observe the hygiene of all housing - do wet cleaning, do not forget to wipe children's toys.
3. Make sure that the food and drinks that you give your child are not too hot. Do not allow the child to take foreign objects into his mouth, as he may injure the oral cavity with them.
4. Prevention of stomatitis is carried out using drugs that strengthen the immune system, able to activate their own protective antibodies in the body. The general strengthening and stimulating effect is exerted by vitamins of group C and B.
5. It is scientifically proven that in the body of children who often suffer from stomatitis, there is a low content of lysozyme in the saliva (a substance with bactericidal properties). Chicken protein is especially rich in this substance, and in order to prevent it, rinsing the mouth with raw chicken protein diluted in half a liter of warm boiled water will help.
What does a child have stomatitis?
In the process of treating stomatitis, you should not eat spicy, salty or acidic foods. By acidity, food should be neutral and not create additional irritation of the oral mucosa.
The most important thing to remember: a seasoned baby is less likely to suffer from various diseases, including stomatitis. With the right regime of the day, good nutrition, systematic stay in the fresh air and, of course, daily oral hygiene, stomatitis in children will not appear.