Stomatitis in infants - causes, treatment and photos

How to help your child with stomatitisImmunity, which has not yet been formed, the desire to get acquainted with the outside world not only to the touch, but also to taste, numerous kisses of loving relatives and tremulous parents, not in all cases pass without a trace for the newborn. The kid, maybe for no apparent reason, may start to act up or refuse to eat.

The cause of all these anxieties is very often a disease that is common among infants - stomatitis. Stomatitis means inflammatory process on the mucous membrane of the oral cavity, which in most cases occurs on the surface of the tongue or the inner surfaces of the cheeks, gums, lips or palate. On the affected area may appear ulceration, redness and swelling.

The main symptoms of stomatitis in infants

The occurrence of stomatitis in children, in the first year of life may be accompanied by a number of certain symptoms:

  • Increased temperature up to 39 ° C, which precedes the formation of vesicles and ulcers in a few days;
  • inflammatory processes on the mucous and bleeding on the gums;
  • bubbles of small size in the mouth, which after a certain period of time burst, developing into ulcers;
  • when trying to remove plaque with a sterile bandage or swab, a bleeding wound is formed;
  • irritability, causeless crying, lack of sleep in the newborn;
  • painful sensations during swallowing and copious saliva;
  • characteristic unpleasant aroma from the mouth.

Causes of stomatitis in newborns

To the most common reasons development of stomatitis in infants can be counted as follows:

  • The causes of thrushvarious infections: fungal, bacterial or viral;
  • weakening of the already immature immunity of the baby;
  • endocrine system pathologies and other serious diseases;
  • long-term use of antibiotics;
  • inadequate oral hygiene of the child or the breast of a nursing mother;
  • poor disinfection of bottles, nipples and toys of the newborn.

It should be noted that, depending on the causes of the disease and its severity, stomatitis can be divided into the following forms:

  • candidal form of the disease;
  • stomatitis caused by herpes;
  • allergic or contact form of the disease;
  • aphthous stomatitis.

In infants, education is most often observed. candidal stomatitis or as it is called in the people - thrush. The causative agent of such inflammatory processes is a fungus of the genus Candida. This kind of fungus is widely distributed and is found on the skin, in the mouth and even in the intestines of an ordinary healthy person. For this reason, no matter how much the parents try to keep the baby's hygiene, it cannot fully protect him from stomatitis.

Herpetic stomatitis occurs due to herpes simplex viruses. Most often, children are exposed to infection from a year to 3 years. In this case, the allergen can be components included in toothpastes, as well as medicines used for irrigation of the oral cavity for colds.

If talk about aphthous stomatitisthen the exact cause of its occurrence has not yet been clarified.According to doctors, it may occur in the case of a genetic predisposition of the body, avitaminosis, emotional stress, severe fatigue, or as a consequence of an allergic reaction to certain groups of products.

Measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stomatitis

What measures should be taken when thrushDiagnosis of stomatitis in most cases is based on examination of the oral cavity of the patient. At the same time, various forms of the disease have individual characteristics, due to which the doctor can determine the type of stomatitis and the direction for his treatment. Some tests can also be assigned to the doctor: complete blood count, seeding tank for the flora of the inflamed area, etc.

It should be noted that one of the important conditions for the treatment of inflammatory processes caused by stomatitis in the oral cavity in infants are the following:

  • heavy drinking;
  • balanced diet - foods that do not irritate the oral mucosa;
  • humidifying the air in the room where the newborn is located;
  • timely oral hygiene of the child and the breast of a nursing mother;
  • high-quality sterilization of nipples, dishes and toys.

At the same time, parents should not delay with going to the hospital or calling a doctor at home, if the baby has The following symptoms are observed:

  • severely elevated temperature;
  • refusal to eat and drink;
  • increased anxiety and irritability;
  • the baby looks weak and sleeps unusually long;
  • if there is no improvement within a three-day period.

Herpetic stomatitis in infants

How to treat herpes stomatitisThe basis of the treatment of herpetic stomatitis is the use of a sufficient amount of liquid by the child. Especially good drinkswithout a pronounced taste: diluted natural juices, jelly or slightly warmed broth, etc. It is necessary to exclude from the diet citrus fruits, spicy or highly salted, as well as sweet food.

In the case of severe stomatitis, doctors may recommend intravenous drugs, in order to prevent dehydration. To stabilize the temperature, antipyretic drugs may be prescribed. I would also like to note that local antiseptics have a short-term effect, and the numbness accompanying the effect of medicines, leads to the fact that due to the absence of pain, the child can hurt itself even more.

The use of antibiotics to combat herpetic stomatitis will not lead to a positive result, since they are simply useless. However, in particularly difficult cases, the doctor may be prescribed antiviral drugs that help speed up the recovery of the child, but only if the treatment is prescribed at the initial stage of the disease.

Aphthous stomatitis in infants

Aphthous form of stomatitis usually does not require medication. Only in situations where the ulcers are more than a centimeter in size, and the disease itself has been going on for more than the first week, medical consultation may be necessary followed by treatment with oral tetracycline or tetracycline ointment. Although I immediately want to note that this group of drugs is usually not prescribed to children, until the eruption of all permanent teeth.

As has been repeatedly mentioned, to reduce discomfort in the mouth, you should avoid eating with a pronounced taste. Frequent rinsing with herbal and salt solutions can bring relief. Medical preparations in the form of ointments or sprays that are applied topically, help to dull the pain. To prevent bacterial infections at the site of the outbreak, parents should constantly monitor the oral hygiene of the infant.

Activities for the treatment of stomatitis in infants

White bloom in a childFrom the popular methods of treatment I want to note tea bags. The used bag adapts to the ulcer, thereby relieving inflammation.When brushing your teeth, it is very important to ensure that the paste does not contain sodium lauryl sulfate, which is the direct causative agent of stomatitis in the baby’s mouth. Therefore, the rejection of such a toothpaste will avoid unwanted problems.

Many doctors recommended during the course of the disease to reconsider the diet of the baby, which will speed up the healing process. It is recommended to eat a neutral food at room temperature, you can not eat food-stimuli: citrus, very sweet or salty food, etc. It is very good to add foods rich in vitamin B to the diet of both the baby and the nursing mother.

It should be noted that term of recovery of the child depends on many factors, and in particular on the causes of stomatitis. In the case of herpetic stomatitis, treatment proceeds for 10 days while medical intervention is optional. If we are talking about aphthous stomatitisthen the disease does not cause any particular problems for the baby and lasts from 5 days to 1 week.

Preventive actions

Prevention of stomatitis treatmentThe development of almost all forms of stomatitis is accompanied by a certain kind of irritation in the oral cavity. therefore regular and proper hygiene, timely visits to the dentist and proper diet will prevent the development of the disease.

It should be noted that due to the fact that all people are carriers of the herpes virus, it is simply impossible to completely prevent the occurrence of herpetic stomatitis. However, parents should limit communication of the baby with people with an open form of herpes. In addition, be sure to comply standard hygiene and cleanliness rules:

  • personal hygiene;
  • high-quality sterilization of nipples, bottles and dishes;
  • balanced diet;
  • purity of breast feeding mothers;
  • the use of boiled water by baby after meals.

If a baby is diagnosed with a weakened immune system, parents should reconsider their diet, which must be diversified with vitamins. It is very important to avoid stress in the newborn, as it can also be the cause of stomatitis.

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