Giardia was found in the child. Dietary rules during anthelmintic therapy. Dandelion root decoction

To quickly cure and destroy worms, diagnosis is required at an early stage of the disease. Helminths develop in all types and types and are transmitted through the following sources:

through breast milk;
hands;
public sandboxes and other places;
household and natural items;
unwashed vegetables and fruits.

Often a nursing mother has an infectious agent in her body. In the process of receiving milk, the baby begins to show symptom after symptom, which leads to disruption of the gastric and intestinal tract. Within two weeks, other signs of the disease begin to appear.

Symptoms and features of giardiasis

When stationary, worms live a long time. The cyst is resistant to disinfectants and does not tolerate temperature changes. Infection occurs when a child ingests ten or more cysts. Worm eggs are microscopic and adapt to the environment and negative influences.

The larvae adapt and reproduce quickly, with a life cycle of a year or more. If the larvae find themselves in an unfavorable area of the small or large intestine, they are able to live and carry out vital activities in the body. A child is more often susceptible to giardiasis due to interaction with the surrounding nature and other people. In an infant, the problem occurs after breastfeeding. Therefore, the mother needs to monitor her health and eradicate the disease before breastfeeding.

Symptoms of giardiasis in newborns

Doctors compare giardiasis in infants with the course of another disease characterized by inflammation of internal organs. Without a complete and comprehensive diagnosis, it is difficult to identify the disease; the characteristic symptoms are as follows:

diarrhea, sticks to the potty with a pungent, unpleasant odor;
stomach ache;
nausea;
disruption of gastric and intestinal processes;
temperature increase;
skin allergies;
mild, dry cough;
whims and crying;
grinding teeth at night;
problems with appetite;
sleep disorders;
gases and intoxication.

This disease contributes to the development of others associated with the digestive and biliary process, the following problems arise:

gastritis;
intestinal obstruction;
problems with urine and bile excretion.

Helminths need to be treated. Without this, complications arise.

Treatment and diagnosis of infants

If signs of dysbacteriosis or elevated temperature appear, the newborn is referred to a doctor. He directs you to undergo tests to determine the diagnosis. Diagnosis of the disease involves laboratory tests of the following nature:

stool sampling for determination;
dysbacteriosis analysis;
donating blood using ELISA to detect helminths.

If doctors find Giardia in the baby’s body, they will refer you for additional examinations:

Treatment of helminthiasis is complicated by decreased immunity, refusal to eat, and slow physical development. The main sign of the disease is that the newborn refuses the mother’s breast, leading the body to exhaustion. In the process of the problem, negative consequences arise for the child. Helminths must be killed inside organs to prevent slow development of the body.

When treating a baby, at the first stage, restorative measures are carried out for the proper and stable functioning of the body. An infant will not need to adhere to a specific diet; he will have to consume artificial formula from milk. You can eat porridge and abstain from breast milk. The doctor stops breastfeeding and begins to kill helminths in the body of the mother and baby.

At the second stage, the fight against the causative agent of infectious invasion occurs, using medicines and drugs. Medicines are combined with vitaminizing medicines and traditional medicine, homeopathy.

The third stage is rehabilitation, which involves the competent use of fortifying and preventive medications aimed at restoring immunity and preventing re-infection. Preventive therapy involves and includes every family member.

The use of traditional medicine in the fight against worms

Once a problem is detected in the body, specific treatment and care for the sick patient is required. The pediatrician is the first doctor to refer for examination. An infectious diseases specialist, a gastroenterologist and a pediatrician make conclusions and give prescriptions.

Ripe cucumbers are scalded after washing the vegetables. The decoction is taken all day in one hundred gram portions;
bergamot calms the baby after taking medications, just use a couple of drops on the pillow;
root and aspen infusions;
Celandine is taken in a course of five to six days;
Take dandelion infusion for 10 days; dandelion roots and flowers need to be boiled;
grease compress.

Rehabilitation and disease characteristics

herbal therapy;
rationality in eating;
taking medications to increase the stability of the immune system;
taking protective medications in the form of: pumpkin seeds, zinc, sulfur, etc.;
A course of 14 days involves taking adsorbents.

Symptomatic recovery of organs and tissues occurs slowly. During the rehabilitation period, you are required to take medications from the doctor’s regimen. With prolonged manifestation of helminthiasis symptoms, an untreated disease appears. After re-diagnosis, doctors make a conclusion about re-invasion by giardiasis or about the previous, unsuccessful eradication of giardia from the body. If the previous treatment regimen is ineffective, doctors prescribe other methods.

Giardiasis takes on a chronic form in weakened immunity. The body develops cellular resistance that can keep the baby healthy for six months. After six months, the baby is susceptible to illness. Compliance with preventive measures does not allow the disease to penetrate inside the organs.

Preventive actions and safety measures to protect against giardiasis

Preventing giardiasis involves following the following rules:

hand washing;
nail cutting;
carefully process fruits and vegetables, rinse with boiling water;
give the baby boiled water;
do not swim in bodies of water;
undergo an annual examination for the presence of foreign protozoan cysts in the organs;
training in hygiene and sanitary standards;
processing of domestic animals;
reduce visits to public places and sandboxes;
regular cleaning of the living space where the family lives.

Dear readers, you have probably heard something about Giardia more than once. Even this word sounds somehow very unpleasant, right? Many parents are frightened if such a diagnosis is given to their child. Today, together with pediatrician Oksana Elhissi, we will talk about the symptoms, treatment of Giardia in children and the prevention of this disease. I give the floor to Oksana.

How does giardiasis become infected?

In its life cycle, lamblia goes through two stages:

trophozoite - a unicellular microorganism in the vegetative stage, pear-shaped with flagella, through which it can move quickly;
cyst - under unfavorable living conditions, the trophozoid turns into an oval cyst, incapable of independent movement. The cyst remains viable in a humid environment for three months. Even in the presence of small concentrations of chlorine, the cyst retains its viability.

The disease giardiasis is widespread throughout the world. The traditional leaders among regions with a high percentage of cases of infection are considered to be the tropical regions of Africa, Mexico and South America, the southern and south-eastern regions of Asia, where the level of sanitary and hygienic provision is catastrophically low. However, cases of giardiasis infection are also recorded in developed countries.

Both adults and children are susceptible to the disease, but children under five years of age account for the largest percentage of cases.

Let's see what Giardia looks like in the photo.

How the infection is transmitted

The mechanism of infection with giardiasis is fecal-oral through several routes of transmission:

from a sick person or child to healthy ones through toys, utensils and household items, dirty hands;
through contaminated water;
through unwashed food.

Massive epidemics of giardiasis occur only through contaminated water. A small number of cysts (about 10 pieces) is enough to become infected with this serious disease. Animals, including domestic ones, can also be a source of infection.

How to determine giardiasis in a child

The incubation period can last from one week to two.

Afterwards comes the acute stage, which is manifested by increased body temperature, decreased appetite, abdominal discomfort, nausea, belching and frequent watery stools with a pungent odor.

However, according to statistics, in most patients the clinical picture of the disease is not so clear, which leads to a loss of time for diagnosis and transition to the chronic stage.

Symptoms and signs of Giardia in children

The main symptoms of giardiasis infection in children:

intoxication of the body is manifested by weakness, mood swings, fatigue, complaints of body pain and headaches, fluctuations in body temperature;
from the digestive tract - pain in the intestines, plaque on the tongue, gas formation and seething in the abdomen, loss of appetite and refusal to eat, nausea and vomiting, changes in stool character, weight loss. Sometimes there is an enlargement of the liver, the development of hepatitis, cholecystitis and pancreatitis;
skin rashes - urticaria, dermatitis;
exacerbation of bronchial asthma, increased coughing attacks;
changes in blood counts;
avitaminosis;
in severe cases, signs of developmental delay are observed.

Diagnosis of giardiasis

A very common situation is completely asymptomatic giardiasis in children, which makes diagnosis difficult. To make an accurate diagnosis, clinical and laboratory examinations are performed.

Tests for Giardia in a child - how to take them?

At the next stage, Giardia antigens are diagnosed in the patient’s stool and blood using the PCR (polymerase chain reaction) method, and a search for specific immunoglobulins G and M is carried out using the ELISA method (immunofluorescence analysis). The detection of immunoglobulin M indicates the presence of Giardia in the body, immunoglobulin G is responsible for the “defense” of the body - its elevated levels can be detected for several months after treatment.

Blood for Giardia is taken from a vein. The analysis should be done on an empty stomach in the morning, before breakfast. A child of any age can donate blood for testing.

These diagnostic techniques are recognized as one of the most effective.

How to treat Giardia in children. Modern treatment

Treatment of giardiasis begins immediately after diagnosis, even in the absence of clinical manifestations of the disease. The drugs and duration of treatment are selected taking into account the course of the disease, the characteristics of the child and include:

"Nifuratel"

Currently, in general practice the drug Nifuratel (Macmiron) is prescribed for a period of 7 days. The effectiveness of this drug reaches 96%. "Nifuratel" has a wide spectrum of action and is approved for use in children from two months.

Side effects include, in rare cases, urticaria and itchy skin. "Nifuratel" is approved for use with concomitant liver diseases, as it is excreted from the body through the kidneys.

"McMirror"

When treating giardiasis with the drug "Makmiror" in patients with atopic dermatitis, there is an 80% reduction in skin manifestations. In children with bronchial asthma, attacks disappeared or decreased in 85% of cases. Allergic reactions are observed in all children taking this drug.

"Albendazole"

Another drug in the treatment of giardiasis is Albendazole. Its spectrum of action covers, in addition to Giardia, also helmites, so this drug is prescribed to children with combined infestations. The standard dosage is 15 mg per kg of the child’s body weight, 2 times a day for one week. The effectiveness of the drug ranges from 30-90%.

"Metronidazole"

The widely known drug “Metronidazole” is increasingly rarely prescribed for drug therapy in children due to the high risk of side effects and low efficiency compared to analogues of 20-70%.

During the treatment of giardiasis, it is recommended to eat a diet that reduces the amount of carbohydrates and increases the intake of fiber and protein. To do this, you need to ensure daily consumption of fruits, vegetables and greens. Whole grain bread and bran bread are excellent sources of fiber. In patients with signs of lactose intolerance, exclusion of all dairy products (milk, fermented baked milk, kefir, sour cream, yogurt, feta cheese) from the diet.

Before eating, you must thoroughly wash your hands and food - vegetables and fruits.

strong meat broths and fatty meats;
animal fats, margarine;
legumes and dishes made from them;
seasonings and smoked meats;
sweets, refined sugar;
sweet drinks and juices;
mushrooms.

Enterosorbents and probiotics

For concomitant manifestations of pancreatitis, after the diarrhea has stopped, pancreatic enzymes and hepatoprotectors are prescribed.
According to indications, symptomatic treatment is carried out by prescribing painkillers and antipyretics. After treatment, complexes of essential vitamins and microelements, as well as herbal medicine, are prescribed.

And now I suggest watching the video material. What does Dr. Komarovsky say about the treatment of giardiasis?

Treatment of giardiasis in children using traditional methods

Traditional medicine also has remedies against this disease.

Horseradish with honey

You need to take a few horseradish roots, wash them thoroughly and grate them on a fine grater. Place in a small jar and fill with boiled water. After 3 days, strain the mixture and add honey in a 1:1 ratio. After another 3 days, take half an hour before meals.

Dosage for children over 10 years old is 1 dessert spoon 3 times a day, and children under 2 years old can be given half a teaspoon. After a ten-day course, you need to take a break for a week and then repeat the course.

Mixture of pumpkin seeds and honey

Take 100 g of pumpkin seeds, grind in a blender with two tablespoons of honey. Add 20-30 ml of water. Give this mixture to the child to eat an hour on an empty stomach. After taking it, it is recommended to do an enema.

Wormwood infusion

To prepare the infusion, you need to take 1 tablespoon of crushed wormwood and pour a glass of boiling water. Leave for half an hour and take a teaspoon 3 times a day.

And finally, I would like to draw your attention to a very important point.

Modern medicine has a full range of measures to treat adults and children from giardiasis. The key to success is timely diagnosis and implementation of all recommendations prescribed by the doctor.

Be healthy!

Elhissi Oksana,pediatrician,
author of the project School of Family Health

I thank Oksana for all the useful information on how to treat giardiasis in children. In fact, any disease does not seem so scary when you know how to cope with it.

I remember how my daughters and I were diagnosed with this. I immediately noticed then that they had nausea, weakness, nausea - in a word, there was something wrong. But I didn’t know about Giardia back then. Everyone was treated. My husband and I also took all the medications the doctor prescribed. It was a difficult time, honestly. But after the treatment, I again noticed a return of appetite and a healthy complexion in my daughters.

And for the mood, we will listen to you today Edelweiss – André Rieu.

Life cycle

Giardia lives a full cycle in the human body

Their life cycle is known quite well:

Labial cysts enter the human body. They are extremely resistant to external aggressive factors; they can live for several days in a one percent chlorine solution, and for up to 2-3 months in water or a humid environment. Infection occurs through the oral route.

Gastric juice also does not have a detrimental effect on Giardia cysts, allowing them to pass unhindered into the small intestine - their main place of residence.

In the small intestine, cysts are activated and turn into adult forms, which attach to its walls, feeding on incoming substances. They have a preference for carbohydrate foods, but can also absorb other nutrients.

If, after contact with contaminated objects, the child bites his nails or eats food with dirty hands, the cysts will pass through the mouth into the stomach. This is how infection occurs.

It is often said that Giardia can penetrate the gallbladder and liver, but so far this remains only a theory, but has received practical confirmation.

Transmission routes

From person to person. Giardia cysts are excreted in feces, and poorly washed hands after visiting the restroom can become an excellent tool for their spread.

Through the water. Infection can occur both in open bodies of water and through consumption of raw tap water, in which these protozoa are often found. It is especially worth noting that in most cases, conventional chlorination and industrial cleaning are not enough.

Through animals. Since animals can also be carriers of Giardia, infection through them is quite likely. The typical route of spread is through animal feces.

Giardia can be transmitted from animals

It is believed that to become infected with Giardia, it is enough for about a dozen cysts to enter the body. With such an abundance of transmission routes and the high survival rate of these protozoa, it is not surprising that most people are infected with them.

Prevalence and incidence

These indicators are especially high in children's groups. According to some estimates, up to 70-80% of children in kindergartens, boarding schools, and schools are infected with Giardia. But they don’t appear in everyone. Interestingly, the incidence decreases with age, and among adults, Giardia is found in 30% of the population.

But in young children, people with weak immunity, and those who have a lot of simple carbohydrates in their diet, they can cause attacks of giardiasis.

It is worth noting that many doctors now consider Giardia to be something like an element of opportunistic flora, i.e., microorganisms that can live in the human body without manifesting themselves or causing harm to him, but under certain factors they are activated, causing the development diseases.

Forms of giardiasis

There are several forms of giardiasis

Giardiasis is a disease caused by infection with these protozoa, Giardia. In order to make such a diagnosis, it is enough to detect this microorganism in the stool, but it can manifest itself in completely different forms. Depending on the individual characteristics and duration of the flow, several forms can be distinguished:

Carriage. Giardia cysts are excreted in feces, they can be detected during diagnosis, but no manifestations of the disease are noted. In this case, the person becomes a carrier, infecting others.

Spicy. It is characterized by obvious manifestations of the disease, such as general intoxication, diarrhea, nausea, and so on. As a rule, it does not last long, no more than 3-4 days, becoming chronic.

Chronic. Minor manifestations are noted over a long period of time; periodic exacerbations are possible, especially against the background of stress for the body, for example, a cold. Manifestations are very diverse, most often - various rashes and changes in skin pigmentation, minor intestinal disorders.

Hepatic. There are discussions about the possibility of Giardia cysts getting into the bile ducts, gallbladder and liver, but previously researchers separately identified the hepatic forms of giardiasis. It manifests itself with typical signs of cholecystitis or hepatitis against the background of Giardia infection. Nowadays such a diagnosis is made extremely rarely.

Each of these forms has its own characteristic manifestations, which help diagnose this disease in children.

Pathogenesis

As soon as Giardia enters the upper section of the small intestine, which has the most favorable conditions for their existence, they capture the microcilia of the epithelium. It is on them that Giardia spend most of their time.

Giardia begins its journey from the upper intestine

Normally, it is in the small intestine that the breakdown, fermentation of food takes place and the subsequent absorption of most nutrients into the intestinal walls: fats, proteins, simple carbohydrates, as well as minerals and vitamins. As a result, Giardia competes with humans for the substances they both need.

In this case, the synthesis of digestive enzymes significantly deteriorates, the absorption of proteins, fats, carbohydrates is impaired, and the content of vitamins A, B, C, folic acid, carotene, thiamine, riboflavin and other substances necessary for normal growth and development in the body decreases.

But that’s it, this picture is observed quite rarely, most often against the background of weakened immunity. In most cases, giardiasis manifests itself less sharply.

Characteristic symptoms of giardiasis in children

Giardiasis manifests itself with various symptoms

First of all, it is worth noting that this disease can have a lot of manifestations, which makes it much more difficult to diagnose, but most often they include the following:

Diarrhea. This is one of the main manifestations of this disease. The feces are soft, unformed or liquid, yellowish, with a small admixture of mucus, with an unpleasant odor, frequent. Giardiasis is characterized by alternating diarrhea with constipation that lasts for several days.

Nausea and vomiting. A characteristic sign of acute giardiasis, especially in children, is vomiting.

Intestinal disorders. With giardiasis, various intestinal disorders are often noted: increased gas formation, bloating, noise, “splashing water” and so on.

Rash. A common manifestation of acute giardiasis in children is various allergic skin rashes. They may resemble measles, jaundice, or diathesis, depending on the progression of the disease.

Pain. Children often complain of pain in the epigastric region, in the upper abdomen, and also around the navel.

Temperature increase. A slight increase in temperature is noted in the acute form of giardiasis, among other signs of general intoxication.

Change in appetite. Some patients complain of decreased appetite and aversion to food. For others it does not change.

Malabsorption. Deterioration in nutrient absorption is typical for this type of disease. As a result, while maintaining the usual diet, the child begins to lose weight.

9 Headache and dizziness. They are also associated with decreased nutrient intake. These symptoms may be supplemented by irritability, fatigue, general malaise, and sometimes physical retardation, emotional lability,

Changes in skin pigmentation. With a long and severe course, several characteristic signs may appear: a marbled nose, darkening of the skin.

Dry skin. In some cases, children infected with Giardia have rough skin on their feet, cracked heels, pimples, peeling lips, snags, and thinning hair.

As you can see, the characteristic symptoms of giardiasis in children can be quite varied. They relate not only to the digestive system, but also to other systems. Therefore, in order to make a correct diagnosis, certain diagnostics are required.

Diagnosis of giardiasis in children

Diagnosis is made using various tests

In modern medicine, there are several types of studies that are carried out when giardiasis is suspected. Among the main ones:

Palpation. When palpating the abdomen of a child who is suspected of having giardiasis, the doctor may note pain in the area of the small intestine, and sometimes in the area of the liver and gallbladder.

Coprogram. Today, the main method for diagnosing Giardia infection is stool examination. Based on it, a preparation is prepared in the laboratory, which is studied under a microscope, noting the presence of Giardia cysts. This method is simple, accessible and widespread, but has a number of disadvantages. Firstly, it is characterized by a certain subjectivity, which can affect the quality of diagnosis. Secondly, giardiasis has so-called silent stages, when cysts are not excreted in feces. Therefore, for targeted diagnostics, it is recommended to repeat it 3-4 times at intervals of 6-8 days.

Examination of the contents of the small intestine. For a more accurate diagnosis, probing of the esophagus is sometimes used. In this case, using a gastroscope, the doctor takes a sample of the contents of the small intestine, which is then examined under a microscope in the same way. But in this case, it is possible not only to determine the presence of cysts, but also to detect adult forms of Giardia. This eliminates the risk of entering the silent stage and receiving a false negative response.

Biopsy of the small intestinal mucosa. Also, during endoscopy, a sample of the epithelium of the small intestine can be taken for subsequent study.

Blood test. In some cases, they resort to enzyme immunoassay of blood serum. This analysis allows not only to determine the presence of Giardia in the body, but also to approximately determine the period of development of the disease (more than 2-3 months or less). Blood for this analysis is taken from a vein on an empty stomach, observing all the typical requirements. But some researchers consider this method somewhat dubious, still recommending monitoring the results obtained through stool examination.

Therefore, doctors most often resort to the simplest method of diagnosis - stool examination.

Additional diagnostics

Separately, we note that when characteristic signs of giardiasis appear, even its detection in the feces cannot be the end of the diagnosis. Many other diseases can have similar symptoms: helminthic infestations, amoebiasis, as well as colitis and duodenitis of infectious and non-infectious nature. This applies to intestinal symptoms (vomiting, diarrhea).

Intestinal symptoms may not only occur due to Giardia

In the same way, other symptoms attributed to giardiasis should be studied: weight loss, poor appetite, abdominal pain, dermatitis, allergic reactions. All this requires a fairly thorough additional examination: general and biochemical analysis of blood and urine, allergy tests, ultrasound of the abdominal cavity.

The reason for this approach is that Giardia itself appears quite rarely. The reason is that it is possible that two factors coincide: the presence of Giardia in the body and some other factor that caused diarrhea and vomiting.

Therefore, most often, treatment directly for giardiasis is advised to be done in one case: if there is long-term diarrhea, more than 3-4 days, characteristic of this disease, giardia is found in the feces and there are no more likely factors that could cause such manifestations.

Treatment of giardiasis

Treatment of lambiasis consists of several stages

This disease is widespread among children, so doctors have developed a fairly clear treatment plan for them. In most cases it consists of three stages:

Preparatory. First of all, bowel preparation is carried out for a week. A special diet is recommended, which is necessary to cleanse the intestines. Sweet foods and drinks, sugar, cookies, candies, chocolate, baked goods, flour and pasta are excluded from the diet as much as possible.

The basis of nutrition should be fresh vegetables and fruits, cereals, lean boiled or baked meat and poultry, fish and seafood, and dairy products. This reduces the nutrition of Giardia and makes the environment in the small intestine less favorable for them. At the same time, sorbents are prescribed. Due to this, the number of adult forms of Giardia decreases and the conditions for their existence worsen.

Recovery. After the causative agents of the disease are eliminated, the stage of restoring normal intestinal functioning begins. For this purpose, enzymes are prescribed, as well as drugs containing the necessary intestinal flora. At the same time, the intake of sorbents and a typical diet continue.

In most cases, after this the disease is considered cured. However, often when re-diagnosis is carried out after 2-3 months, Giardia cysts are again found in the stool.

But it is difficult to say whether this is a re-infection or whether the treatment had only a temporary effect and became active again after some time. There are no methods yet that can distinguish re-infection from relapse.

Need for treatment

It is worth noting that there are several opinions regarding the need for treatment of giardiasis. Previously, to prescribe therapy, it was enough to detect even a small number of cysts in a child’s stool in the absence of external manifestations of the disease. The reason for this panic was the theory that Giardia can penetrate through the bile ducts into the gallbladder, causing serious illnesses, including hepatitis and cirrhosis. But according to modern research, Giardia cannot live in bile, and therefore cannot penetrate the gallbladder and liver.

The issue of the need to treat giardiasis has not yet been resolved.

In our country, the attitude towards Giardia is twofold. Thus, many doctors of the old school still advise taking tests for Giardia at the slightest deviation, and if they are detected, immediately begin treatment. But a more modern approach coincides with the American one: start aggressive therapy only if there are obvious external manifestations that negatively affect health.

This approach is supported by the fact that the incidence in children's groups can reach 70-80%, and signs of giardiasis, including its more hypothetical severe complications, do not appear in everyone. The same applies to adults: about 30% of the population is infected, and the disease manifests itself quite rarely.

Thus, today many doctors treat the detection of Giardia in a child’s body quite calmly. This cannot be considered a contraindication to visiting public institutions such as nurseries, kindergartens and schools. The only exception is the acute form, accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea and signs of intoxication.

Traditional treatment of giardiasis

It is worth noting that there are many traditional methods of treatment and prevention of giardiasis. Among the most common:

Kalina. Every morning for 10-15 days on an empty stomach you need to carefully worry and swallow a handful of fresh viburnum along with the seeds.

Sagebrush. Wormwood is dried, ground into powder and stored in a thick glass container. For 10 days, take 0.5-1 teaspoon twice a day with plenty of water. To soften the unpleasant taste of wormwood, you can add a little honey to the water.

Flax-seed. Flax seed and cloves in a ratio of 10 to 1 are dried and ground in a coffee grinder to a powder. The resulting mixture should be taken with food throughout the day.

A fresh coconut is opened and divided into three to six parts. For three days in the morning, the pulp is grated and eaten on an empty stomach. After this, you should not eat anything for 3-4 hours.

Cucumber infusion. Ripe seed cucumbers, which have already acquired a brownish peel color, are cut into cubes and placed in a pan so that they take up about a quarter of the volume. Then fill the pan three-quarters full with boiling water, cover with a lid, and allow the infusion to cool. It is then filtered and stored in the refrigerator. During the day you should drink at least half a liter of this infusion. It can be given to a child as a replacement for water and drinks.

Linden ash. Linden branches are burned in a metal container, after which the ashes are sifted, freeing them from coals and lumps. For 4 days, in the morning and evening before meals, the child is given a teaspoon (after 10 years - a tablespoon) of ash mixed with honey. Take this product with warm milk.

Pumpkin seeds. Dried pumpkin seeds can be used as an additional treatment method. You can eat up to 50-100 grams per day, depending on age.

Fennel. Fennel fruits are crushed, and in a combination of 1 to 2, they are poured with warm, about 50 degrees, water. The infusion is brewed for a day, after which the water is drained, and the remaining fruits are poured with water 1 to 1 and brought to a boil, after which they are filtered again. Then both liquids are combined and 50-100 grams are drunk half an hour before meals.

Aspen. A tablespoon of aspen leaves and young branches is poured into a glass of water and boiled in a water bath for an hour. Then the solution is filtered and taken a teaspoon or tablespoon three times a day before meals.

Giardiasis is a typical disease of dirty hands. Most often, it becomes infected if the child does not wash his hands after playing, being outside, or interacting with pets. It is worth noting that it is not enough to simply rinse them with water; you must wash them thoroughly with soap for 10-15 seconds. It is very important to teach and teach a child to wash their hands correctly from a very early age.
Each family member, including children, should have their own towel and dry their hands only with it.
All drinking water must be boiled or bottled. It’s just that tap water can carry Giardia cysts, which are not eliminated by regular city sanitation. It is unacceptable to drink raw water.
All fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs must be thoroughly washed with running water, then rinsed with boiled water and blotted with a clean towel.
To reduce the risk of Giardia infection and its transition to an active form, it is worth paying attention to the child’s nutrition. It should contain as little simple carbohydrates as possible: sugar, baked goods and baked goods, carbonated drinks. They should be replaced with products that simultaneously cleanse the intestines and stimulate its normal functioning: fresh fruits, berries and vegetables, cereals, and fermented milk products.
To prevent giardiasis, like many other diseases, the child’s general immunity plays an important role. Therefore, from early childhood, special attention should be paid to hardening procedures, and colds should be treated in a timely manner. A child’s diet, regardless of the time of year, should contain fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs. The lack of substances should be compensated for with multivitamin complexes selected taking into account his age and lifestyle.
As with the treatment of many other diseases, with giardiasis it is important to consult a doctor in a timely manner. It may be that this will simply be a reinsurance or the symptoms will belong to another disease, but the sooner this becomes known, the better.

Most likely, such prevention will not eliminate the possibility of Giardia infection, given the epidemiological situation in the country and the spread of this disease in children's institutions. But it will reduce the likelihood of infection and severe giardiasis, as well as instill healthy habits and protect against many other diseases.

We hope that after reading this article you have a clearer understanding of the problem of giardiasis, and this will help you take the right approach to your child’s health.

The causative agent of the infection is lamblia. If characteristic symptoms of an intestinal disorder appear, drug treatment is prescribed. Therapy is carried out in several stages. To avoid infection, it is recommended to take preventive measures. Treatment of giardiasis in children is a long process that requires control and patience.

Causes of infection in children

Symptoms of infection in children

Giardiasis infection can be detected by certain signs. Sometimes it is not possible to diagnose the presence of Giardia cysts in the body due to the asymptomatic course of the disease. Treatment is prescribed based on the severity of general symptoms.

Symptoms:

alternation of prolonged diarrhea with constipation;
yellowish stool with an unpleasant odor;
nausea or vomiting;
flatulence, bloating, rumbling;
allergic reactions;
persistent cough - bronchitis, asthma;
pain in the navel and stomach;
increase in body temperature up to 38ºC;
partial or complete loss of appetite;
weight loss due to malabsorption;
deterioration of the skin condition;
increased irritability, tearfulness, fatigue;
insomnia, bruxism (teeth grinding), hand tremors.

When primary signs of giardiasis appear in a child, treatment should be started immediately. Failure to detect the causative agent in a timely manner can result in serious health problems. If there is no treatment for a sufficiently long time, the child is diagnosed with vitamin deficiency, iron deficiency anemia (IDA). In this case, giardiasis becomes a chronic disease, and the symptoms intensify.

Parents should be attentive to the baby’s health and, at the first signs of helminthiasis, consult a doctor. The specialist will prescribe appropriate tests and identify the etiology of the symptoms. When the clinical picture becomes clearer, the attending physician will prescribe therapy. Self-medication can make the situation worse.

Why are Giardia dangerous?

Untimely treatment of giardiasis often leads to heart problems and nervous system disorders.

Diagnostics

The selected specialist will prescribe tests and, based on them, confirm or deny the presence of giardiasis in the child. Also, based on the results, adequate treatment is prescribed.

One of the most informative and reliable diagnostic methods is coprogram. Feces should be tested three times every 4 days. This will allow you to accurately identify Giardia cysts in your stool.

Serological study also carried out to identify giardiasis. In the laboratory, blood is taken from a child's vein to detect antibodies to Giardia. Antibodies to the pathogen appear in the second week after infection. After treatment, this figure drops sharply.

Based on the tests, the attending physician prescribes drugs to remove lamblia from the intestines. The recovery process can last from a week to a month.

The effectiveness of treatment of giardiasis in a child is checked a week after therapy using a coprogram.

Methods of treating Giardia in children

The therapy prescribed by the doctor should help the baby quickly get rid of giardiasis. To remove Giardia from the intestines in a short time, a specific treatment regimen is used.

Throughout the treatment of giardiasis, the child is recommended to follow a strict diet. This will help reduce the risk of re-infection with Giardia. If you follow all stages of therapy, the causative agent of the disease will quickly leave the intestines.

Medicines

List of medications for the treatment of giardiasis:

Medicines should be taken strictly according to instructions. You should not self-medicate. Before treating giardiasis in a child with medications, you should consult with your doctor.

Diet

With giardiasis, much attention is paid to the child’s nutrition. Without following a special diet, treatment of the disease will be ineffective. To help the body cope with intoxication, you should eat right.

Nutrition rules during anthelmintic therapy:

increase the number of meals to 5-6 r. per day;
The baby is given food in small portions;
Vitamins and minerals should predominate in food;
Fried and fatty foods, confectionery and fresh baked goods, sweet fruits, some dairy products, etc. are excluded from the diet.

A child with giardiasis should eat liquid porridge prepared in water. When cooking, it is allowed to use rice, buckwheat and corn cereals. Treatment of the disease is facilitated by the use of kefir, lightly salted cheese, and fermented baked milk. Sour drinks are also shown - cranberry or lingonberry fruit drinks, compotes, vegetable juices, herbal teas. Fruits and berries with sourness are equally useful in anthelmintic therapy.

Particular attention is paid to the method of preparing dishes. It is recommended to give preference to boiling, steaming, baking or stewing. Compliance with all dietary rules will improve the baby’s well-being and reduce the intoxication of the body caused by Giardia.

Folk remedies

Considered an excellent anthelmintic decoction of aspen leaves or bark. Pour 1 tbsp. l. raw materials 250 ml. boiling water Then the mixture is cooked over fire for 1 hour. The cooled and strained broth should be stored in the refrigerator. The product is given to the child 1 tbsp. l. three times a day. The course of treatment for giardiasis is 10 days.

Will help get rid of Giardia cysts in a short time bearberry infusion. Brew 1 tbsp. l. dry plant 250 ml. boiling water The liquid is infused for 6 hours. The resulting infusion is drunk by the child in 3 stages a quarter of an hour before meals. The course of treatment is every two days until giardiasis completely disappears.

Effectively remove lamblia from the child’s body pumpkin seeds. Grind 100 gr. seeds and mix with 50 gr. honey Take the mixture 1 tsp. on an empty stomach half an hour before meals. Treatment lasts 10 days.

Disease prevention

Preventive measures:

compliance with generally accepted rules of personal hygiene - regular hand washing;
eating only vegetables and fruits washed and treated with boiling water;
It is advisable to boil tap water before ingestion;
avoiding swimming in polluted waters where infectious agents may live;
protecting the child from contact with street cats and dogs;
regular deworming of people and pets;
systematically carrying out a coprogram (giving stool for analysis).

How to properly treat giardiasis in children, and how to diagnose the disease in a timely manner will be discussed in this article.

What is giardiasis

Giardia is small in size (approximately 18 microns) and can exist in trophosiods (vegetative stage) and cysts.

You need to know that cysts, unlike Giardia themselves, are less mobile, but this quality does not prevent them from having high viability. They are quite resistant to any changes in temperature, that is, they are not afraid of either heat or cold.

On products such as vegetables, their life cycle reaches a couple of hours, however, if these products contain a lot of liquid, then Giardia can live from 1 to a couple of days.

How does infection occur?

The greatest likelihood of becoming infected with Giardia occurs between the ages of 1 and 5 years (it is approximately 40%). However, the older the child gets, the less likely this probability decreases.

It is known that a baby can become infected with giardiasis as early as 3 months of age. At the same time, boys get sick 2-3 times more often than girls. Experts explain this phenomenon by the improved level of parietal digestion in children.

Manifesting symptoms

Giardiasis may not always appear from the first days of illness. There are cases when its symptoms were very similar to the symptoms of other ailments, which led to the wrong method of treating the baby. Every parent needs to know what signs can characterize the manifestation of giardiasis. If a child has 2 or more of the listed signs, it is imperative to seek emergency medical help.

The following signs may indicate that a child is infected with Giardia:

Increased body temperature of the child (doctors call it subfebrial, since it does not exceed 37.5 degrees). This temperature can be observed in the evening and last from several days to a couple of weeks. This symptom is the first signal to go for a consultation with a therapist.
The baby is undergoing the digestive process. In this case, the child may experience constipation or diarrhea. In this case, it is necessary to make sure that the baby does not suffer from intestinal dysbiosis, because quite often such symptoms indicate precisely this disease.
The child grinds his teeth while sleeping. This phenomenon is explained by the fact that as soon as Giardia enters the body, it instantly affects its central nervous system, which causes a disruption in its functioning to some extent. One of these signs is teeth grinding.
Reduced child activity. When infected with giardiasis, the child’s activity decreases significantly. He quickly gets tired of walking in the fresh air, becomes more distracted and inattentive, constantly wants to sleep and can often be capricious.
Pain in the lower abdomen (most often it is of a pulling nature). When giardiasis occurs, abdominal pain manifests itself precisely in the right hypochondrium or around the navel. Therefore, if a child can show the place where he hurts the most, then you need to ask him to do this, as this will greatly facilitate the diagnosis.
Manifestation of attacks (suffocation).
Increase in size of the liver and heart.
Enlarged lymph nodes for no known reason.
The number of eosinophils in the baby’s blood will noticeably increase.

Types of Giardia and forms of Giardiasis in children

Giardia by its nature is usually divided into several types. These include:

Most often, cysts penetrate through the colon and are excreted along with feces. Depending on the temperature conditions outside the child’s body, cysts can exist from 3 to 40 days.

The forms of giardiasis can be of the following nature:

Acute course
Chronic course

The acute form of the disease is in most cases diagnosed in a child under 3 years of age. In this case, the baby experiences a sharp increase in body temperature, digestive system upset and diarrhea.

A skin rash may also appear that closely resembles measles or rubella. Symptoms are also complemented by profuse vomiting, sharp nagging pain in the right hypochondrium and navel. The sooner the child receives medical assistance, the faster the recovery process will occur.

If the baby is not given any treatment for obvious symptoms, then this situation is fraught with the transformation of the acute form of the disease into the chronic stage of its course.

Chronic giardiasis is very dangerous, since it causes complete intoxication of the entire child’s body, as a result of which every internal organ suffers: they become more frequent and abundant, the functioning of the intestines slows down greatly, resulting in constipation.

The nervous and cardiovascular systems suffer the most in this situation.

The longer the patient does not receive proper treatment, the more complications will appear after the therapy.

Existing danger to the baby

Diagnosis of giardiasis in children

Giardiasis is one of the diseases that is not only difficult to diagnose, but also difficult to treat. If the manifested symptoms of the disease are ignored, this can lead to serious consequences for children’s health. It is for this reason that experts recommend not to hesitate in cases of nonspecific symptoms and to immediately seek advice from a therapist. After all, if you diagnose the disease in the primary stages, the recovery process of treatment will be faster and easier, and many complications and negative consequences will be avoided.

If necessary, a specialist can prescribe additional laboratory tests of blood and blood, which will allow a more complete picture of the disease to be drawn and initiation of drug treatment.

Competent solution to the problem

Treatment of giardiasis, like any other disease, is best done under the strict supervision of a specialist. At the same time, it is important to know that therapy will be complex and, in turn, must necessarily consist of several stages.

The first stage is preparatory. It can last for several weeks. It consists in giving the sick baby only boiled vegetables, buckwheat and wheat porridge, baked apples and bran throughout this entire period of time. The effectiveness of this method of nutrition will be much higher than simply giving the child mineral water to drink. For older children, tubing is recommended; it helps reduce cholestasis and restore the functioning of the digestive system.

There is a high probability that the child’s condition will worsen 3-5 days after taking these medications. He will become lethargic and his digestive system will malfunction. Under no circumstances should you stop treatment! Such a reaction indicates that the drugs are working!

Under their influence, Giardia is destroyed, and its remains enter the blood, which is why similar symptoms appear. To improve your health, your doctor may prescribe laxatives or antihistamines. Already on 8-10 days the baby will feel significant relief.