Recently, in pediatric wards, patients with symptoms of urticaria are increasingly found. This ailment does not bypass even newborn children. Their delicate skin, which has not yet had time to get used to the effects of the external environment, is a real target for the pathological process. In this article, you will learn how a children's urticaria looks (photo). Symptoms and treatment in the baby of this disease require special attention. Therefore, they will also be discussed below.
Brief description of pathology
Urticaria is a common skin disease. Usually it has an allergic nature. The penetration of an allergen into the body causes increased production of histamine. This hormone, getting into the blood, leads to an increase in the permeability of the walls of blood vessels. Thus, the baby’s body is trying to independently get rid of the accumulated allergen. Affected areas of the skin acquire a reddish tint, against this background watery vesicles are clearly visible.
It is impossible to confuse such rashes with manifestations of other diseases. Therefore, each mother can easily answer how the urticaria in a baby looks. The photos presented in the article clearly demonstrate the main symptoms of the disease.
What factors provoke the disease?
The main cause of any allergy, including hives, is an inadequate immune response. In the situation with infants, it is usually a matter of immaturity of the protective system. As a result, the body becomes very vulnerable to various stimuli.
If the baby is breast-fed, the cause of urticaria should be sought in the diet of the mother. Often, women allow themselves errors in the diet and include especially allergenic foods in the diet . These include citrus fruits, chocolate, strawberries. Older babies who already receive complementary foods are also prone to skin diseases. In this case, the irritant of the immune system must be sought among foods. It can be packaged juices, mashed potatoes, chicken or fish.
The sources of an allergic reaction in infants are often:
- synthetic or woolen fabrics;
- pollen, plant juice;
- physical irritants (sunlight, frost, dry air, sweat);
- stress (for example, the absence of a mother for several hours);
- tobacco smoke;
- medicines (NSAIDs, antibiotics, vitamins);
- wool, drooling animals.
It is worth noting that urticaria in infants is most often due to food allergies. The intestines of the newborn are very different from the main organ of the digestive system in adults. For several months after the appearance of crumbs in the world, it remains physiologically undeveloped. Over time, when the child’s body and all its systems begin to function fully, the allergy goes away. Together with her, the symptoms of urticaria also disappear.
First manifestations and symptoms
In children under one year of age, the disease can manifest itself in two forms - acute and chronic. In the first case, the symptoms of urticaria are detected within a few hours after contact with the irritant. The chronic form in newborns is extremely rare. It is possible to completely get rid of its manifestations only in half the cases.
What are the symptoms of urticaria in infants? The main manifestation of the disease is considered to be redness of the skin, which over time is replaced by blisters. Rashes can appear on any part of the body. Favorite places for the localization of blisters are considered to be the chin and cheeks, the buttocks, and also the back.
The child may be disturbed by abdominal pain, so he becomes overly capricious and restless. Swelling of the gastrointestinal mucosa is often accompanied by upset stool, the appearance of vomiting or nausea.
Diagnostic Methods
If the first signs of the disease occur, contact a pediatrician. And tell me how the urticaria in infants, photo. Symptoms of an allergic reaction allow the doctor to easily make the correct diagnosis. However, before prescribing treatment, a small patient must undergo a comprehensive examination.
He begins with a medical history and a survey of his mother. It is important for the doctor to know when the first signs of the disorder appeared, what medications the child is taking, what she eats. Then they proceed to specific diagnostic methods. These include allergological and immunological tests, blood and urine tests, as well as ultrasound examination.
Urticaria should be differentiated with other pathological processes that have a similar clinical picture. Based on the results of the examination, the pediatrician prescribes treatment and gives recommendations for caring for the baby.
The basic principles of therapy
Infant urticaria is a complex disease that requires an integrated treatment approach.
First you need to exclude contact with the allergen. To do this, you need to revise the diet of the newborn. You may need to change the brand of diapers and limit contact with pets.
The next stage of therapy is to cleanse the body. For this, the baby can make an enema. The recommendations presented usually help to alleviate the condition of a child with a diagnosis of urticaria.
In infants, drug treatment is not always accompanied by positive dynamics. Drugs are used in extreme cases, when rashes on the body do not go away for a long time. Typically, small patients are prescribed antihistamines (Fenistil, Avil). They eliminate itching and rash. For cleansing the intestines, pediatricians recommend Enterosgel or Smecta. The action of these drugs is aimed at absorbing toxic substances in the body.
It is worth noting that only a doctor can prescribe medication. Any drugs greatly inhibit the baby's immune system, so they resort to their help in exceptional cases. The above funds are not able to eliminate the cause of the disorder. They are extremely symptomatic help.
Diet food
Proper nutrition of the baby is the key to a quick recovery. Medicines help reduce the number of rashes and relieve swelling. However, no medication will allow you to achieve a positive result when allergenic substances constantly enter the body.
If urticaria in infants is caused by a food product, you will have to adhere to a strict diet for 2-4 weeks. Usually, in such cases, milk and vegetable nutrition is prescribed. The diet is allowed to include cottage cheese and kefir, steamed vegetables, rice porridge on the water and turkey meat. Such nutritional recommendations are valid for both the baby and his mother during lactation.
Urgent help with urticaria
Urticaria in infants is accompanied by slight swelling of the skin and characteristic rashes. As a rule, these manifestations of the disease do not pose a threat to the life of the child. The most dangerous condition, which in rare cases is observed with an allergic reaction, is Quincke's edema.
It is characterized by the appearance of a paroxysmal cough, a bluish nasolabial triangle. The child at this moment begins to panic. If you do not help him in a timely manner, a harmless illness can result in death.
What should parents do in this situation? A medical team should be called up immediately. If the family has a car, and doctors wait a long time, you can take the child to the hospital on his own. The main thing - you can not leave the baby unattended.
Prevention Methods
Urticaria is a rather unpleasant disease that causes discomfort to the newborn. Is it possible to prevent its development?
- As a prophylaxis of the disease, doctors recommend that from the first days of life, the crumbs should be engaged in strengthening his immunity. What procedures are suitable for this, should tell the local pediatrician.
- If the baby is breastfed, the mother should adhere to the principles of proper nutrition. Her diet should consist only of lean foods. Citrus fruits, sweets and pastries are prohibited.
- New foods should also be introduced with caution and gradually.
- It is necessary to minimize contact of the newborn with pets.
Now you know the symptoms of urticaria in infants. Treatment for this disorder should only begin after consultation with a pediatrician. At the initial stage, the disease responds well to therapy.