In a healthy body, there are always both beneficial and pathogenic microorganisms. With the normal functioning of the intestine, the preponderance is always on the side of the beneficial microflora. In case of disturbances, a state can develop in which the microbiological composition in the mucosa and lumen of the intestine is disturbed in favor of pathogenic microflora: fungi, pseudomonas aeruginosa , staphylococci, streptococci and proteus. This condition is called a dysbacteriosis, and it can occur at any age, starting with infants.
The child is born with a sterile intestine, into which the intestinal flora begins to be colonized already with the first feeding. The newborn in the first days loses weight, which is quite natural when the body adapts to the new conditions of life. Therefore, infants are very susceptible to the penetration of pathogens, which can trigger the emergence of dysbiosis in the first days after birth. Dysbacteriosis of newborns is directly related to violations of the microflora of the mother, personnel of the maternity ward and people with whom the baby is in contact.
Symptoms of dysbiosis in infants
The first symptoms of dysbiosis in infants is a change in stool. It becomes liquid or mushy with the presence of foam or white lumps. A chair with a dysbacteriosis in a baby can be copious and frequent or vice versa, emptying is difficult and painful. The color of the stool can range from yellowish green to dark green with a putrid or sour smell. Pain in the abdomen usually occurs some time after feeding and is accompanied by bloating and rumbling. Symptoms of intestinal dysbiosis in infants include frequent regurgitation in the intervals between feedings and the appearance of bad breath. A child can feel "bursting" in the abdomen and nausea, because of this, he sleeps badly and worries during wakefulness. Due to violations of intestinal absorption in the body, molecules of undigested food accumulate, which cause allergic skin rashes. Dysbacteriosis can be accompanied by concomitant diseases in the form of anemia and hypovitaminosis, and also contribute to the development of thrush in the oral cavity.
How to recognize a dysbacteriosis in a baby?
Depending on the clinical manifestations, we can distinguish three types of dysbiosis in children:
- Dysbacteriosis of the first degree in the infants (compensated) is manifested by a decrease in appetite, unstable increase in body weight, flatulence and an unexpressed fecal color. This type of dysbiosis is most often associated with improper diet, premature feeding and reaction to food allergens. A child with a compensated dysbacteriosis feels satisfactory and often does not cause any fear.
- Symptoms of dysbacteriosis of 2 degrees in infants (subcompensated) are periodic abdominal pain, flatulence, the development of constipation or diarrhea, a decrease in appetite. The chair becomes a greenish color with an unpleasant odor and can contain undigested lumps of food. Analages of stool show the presence of staphylococcus, yeast-like fungi and bacteria
kind proteus. - Dysbacteriosis of grade 3 in infants (decompensated) is accompanied by all clinical symptoms and signs that directly affect the baby's well-being. The most severe manifestation of dysbiosis is a condition where microbes are spread throughout the body and cause inflammation in many organs.
The further treatment of the disease depends on how dysbacteriosis in infants is manifested and what symptoms accompany it, which requires careful monitoring by the doctor.