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Smecta for children: doses and frequency.
“Smecta” is a drug from the group of enterosorbents, designed to combat diarrhea and other diseases accompanied by intoxication. “Smecta” is approved for use at any age, but the treatment of children has its own subtleties and nuances.
Indications for the use of “Smecta”
Among the huge number of enterosorbents (activated carbon, Enterosgel, Polyphepan, etc.), Smecta is prescribed by pediatricians most often because of its ease of preparation and high efficiency.
The drug is indicated for diarrhea caused by:
- enterovirus
- nutritional deficiencies (for example, the overuse of fruits and vegetables in the summer)
- diseases of the gastrointestinal tract
- poisoning due to the use of low-quality products
- allergies
- colds
- the use of certain medicines (for example, during treatment with antibiotics or chemotherapy drugs)
In addition, “Smecta” is prescribed for intoxication, which can be caused by both an infectious disease (for example, tonsillitis, hepatitis, etc.), and the use of stale products or toxic substances (for example, drug overdose, which is often found in children due to oversight of adults). Also “Smecta” is indicated for indigestion, symptoms of which may be nausea, vomiting, flatulence and abdominal pain. With the help of “Smekta” it is possible to remove both a one-time attack of the disease and to carry out a course treatment.
“Smecta” is often used in the complex treatment of other diseases. It gives a good effect in the fight against allergies, which can manifest itself in the form of dermatitis, bronchial asthma, Quincke’s edema, etc.
“Smecta” is produced in the form of a powder intended for the preparation of a suspension. One sachet of medicine requires 100 ml of water. It is better to use warm water, and add the powder gradually. Otherwise, there is a high probability that lumps will form in the finished suspension. Only freshly prepared medicine should be used. If the child does not like the taste of Smekta, you can mask it by mixing the suspension with tea, juice or milk mixture. Babies can add Smecta to a bottle with expressed breast milk.
Dosage and method of taking “Smekta”
If necessary, “Smecta” is prescribed even to monthly babies, but in this case, you need to carefully monitor the condition of the crumbs to make sure that there are no side effects from the treatment. At a time, the child can be given up to 30 ml of a freshly prepared suspension through a baby bottle or from a spoon. The daily number of medications should not exceed three.
For a six-month-old child, the dosage of Smekta can be increased to 50 ml, but the daily amount of the drug should be no more than 150–160 ml. It is better to give the baby the suspension 15–20 minutes after eating – in this case, the effect of the treatment will manifest itself as quickly as possible. If the treatment is carried out not for diarrhea, but for allergies, the symptoms of which may be itching, skin rashes, etc., it is better to use Smecta more often, but in smaller quantities – for example, 4 times a day, 40 ml.
A child older than one year old can drink “Smecta” in the amount of 70-100 ml at a time. As in previous cases, you need to prepare the suspension before each dose. The maximum daily dose is 200-210 ml. It is possible to increase it to 300 ml only when the child is more than three years old.
In the absence of the effect of therapy, it is better not to increase the dose of the suspension, but to ask the doctor to correct the appointment. Perhaps the cause of diarrhea is dysbiosis, and it should be treated not only with enterosorbents, but also with probiotics (Linex, Bactisubtil, etc.).
Also, do not take “Smecta” for more than 3-5 days. And most importantly: no matter how long the treatment lasts, it is worthwhile to carry it out, referring to the instructions, and only under the supervision of a doctor. Side effects when taking “Smekta” are quite rare, but you can never predict how the child’s body will react to this or that drug.
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