Activated carbon is an amazing drug. It excels from the body almost any toxins, thanks to which it is very common in medical practice. Activated charcoal is suitable for treating both adults and children. It is used in medical institutions and at home. This drug must be present in your home medicine cabinet.
Features of the drug for children
Can I give activated charcoal to children? Of course you can! It is absolutely harmless to the child, and will only benefit the sick baby. However, this medicine should be prescribed only by a doctor and only by indications. Many babies in the first months of life may be concerned about abdominal pain, intestinal colic, dysbiosis. Coal will help to cope with these problems, but its downside is that it "washes away" and beneficial substances from the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, children under one year of activated charcoal are prescribed only in cases of food poisoning and other problems with the intestines, and for dysbacteriosis, probiotics are usually used.
Activated carbon tablets are given to children during poisoning and with diarrhea. The mechanism of action of this medication is this: it thanks to its structure "binds" and neutralizes harmful substances (salts of heavy metals, food toxins, microbial products and even excess water). This leads to a rapid detoxification of the body, which is very important in the treatment of poisoning in children. As for diarrhea, since in most cases it is caused by intestinal infections, the adsorbents here are the best medicine. Sometimes activated carbon is replaced with other, more modern drugs: enterosgel, polysorb, smecta.
Treatment of a child with activated charcoal
How correctly to give activated charcoal to children, how much to take it, in what dosage and for how long? Below are the main principles of treatment.
- The dosage of coal is determined by the weight of the child. For each kilogram of weight, 0.05 g of coal powder is given. Take the medicine should be 3 times a day, and not earlier than 2 hours after eating. This rule must be adhered to in order to avoid adsorption not only toxins, but also useful substances that enter the body of the child with food. For the same reason, it is not necessary to give other medicines simultaneously with charcoal - the effect from them simply will not be.
- Treatment with activated charcoal for poisoning usually lasts from 3 to 7 days.
- This preparation is produced not only in the form of tablets, but also in the form of powder or paste for the preparation of suspension, capsules. The choice of form of medicine for a child depends on his age. The most effective is a slurry (which is often confused with a slurry) - a powder mixed with water. By the way, you can prepare it yourself: you need to crush the tablet into powder, mix it with a little water and give the baby a spoonful. Children under two years of age are advised to give coal in the form of suspended matter, and older children can already be offered capsules or tablets.
- The side effect of prolonged use in children is most often constipation. Therefore, strictly adhere to the prescribed treatment regimen for the doctor and adjust the diet accordingly.
Activated charcoal for allergies
The use of activated charcoal for allergies is indicated for children with such diseases as bronchial asthma, atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, conjunctivitis and others. This drug quickly clears the body of the harmful effects of allergic processes. In particular, its use is shown in the recovery period of treatment, when the body "comes to life". However, in this case both the dosage and the duration of the course should be determined by the allergist doctor, since allergy manifestations are very diverse and the tactics of treatment are also significantly different.