Dyspepsia (Greek dys- + pepsis digestion) – indigestion. Most often, this disease occurs in children of the first year of life, and its course depends on the quantity and quality of the food consumed. It should be borne in mind that the volume of food consumed in children of this age does not always correspond to the capabilities of the gastrointestinal tract, the same can be said about the composition of food.
There are two types of dyspepsia in children: simple and toxic. In the first form, the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract suffers, in the second, the metabolism is disturbed.
The conditions under which dyspepsia can occur are simple: it is enough to disrupt the introduction of complementary foods in the first year of life, feed the child irregularly or overfeed, and this disease also develops against the background of overheating of the child.
Symptoms of dyspepsia in children
With dyspepsia, the following symptoms are observed: vomiting, frequent stools (6-8 times a day), regurgitation. The child’s stool becomes green, has an unpleasant sour smell, and white lumps can be found in it. The child is losing weight. Dyspepsia is accompanied by loss of appetite and bloating. Do not confuse dyspepsia with the usual regurgitation, which is often observed in infants in the first year of life. It is necessary to observe the child, taking into account not only regurgitation and frequent stools, but also observing body weight. It is important that weight gain is in line with accepted age norms.
If there are unpleasant symptoms, a culture should be done to rule out an intestinal infection.
If dyspepsia is attributed by the doctor to a simple form, then treatment is most often carried out at home. First of all, such treatment is aimed at correcting the diet of the child and at eliminating the cause of indigestion.
Intestinal toxicosis, or toxic dyspepsia, is more severe and is the result of both an advanced type of simple dyspepsia and improper treatment. Children with a weakened body are most susceptible to this disease. Intestinal toxicosis can develop against the background of prematurity, rickets and anemia. Also, dyspepsia develops against the background of some infectious diseases, such as dysentery, salmonellosis and others. Vomiting and diarrhea occur, which leads to a violation of the water-salt balance of the child’s body, that is, to dehydration. The disease develops rapidly. The temperature rises to 38–39 °, vomiting and loose stools begin up to 15 times a day. The child dramatically loses weight, the mucous membranes dry up, the pulse is disturbed and becomes weak, breathing is rare and deep. If the disease is not stopped, it can lead to collapse and even coma.
Treatment of dyspepsia in children
There is a certain water-tea diet recommended for the treatment of simple toxicosis, it consists of weak tea, isotonic sodium chloride solution, Ringer’s solution, 5% glucose solution in the amount of 150-180 ml per 1 kg of body weight per day. This diet lasts from 6 to 12 hours, after which the child gradually begins to introduce normal food – first 2/3 of the total volume, then the amount of food consumed is brought to normal. By the fifth day, you can switch to a normal diet. Do not forget about taking vitamins: during the diet they are necessary. If the child is bottle-fed, then it is advisable to give breast milk during the treatment period, you can express it.
Treatment is carried out exclusively in stationary conditions. Again, as with simple dyspepsia, a water-tea diet is recommended, or, alternatively, rehydration therapy during the day. The fluid can be administered either intravenously or orally. The order of administration is as follows: plasma, plasma-replacing solutions, then saline solutions – sodium chloride, Ringer, 5% glucose solution. Within a week after hydration therapy, fermented milk formulas are fed, the second option is breast milk. Do not immediately enter a large dose of milk. You need to limit yourself to 100-200 ml and stretch them 10 times a day. Only from the third day after the therapy can be applied to the chest 1-2 times. Complementary foods should not be introduced earlier than five days later.
In addition, it is necessary to introduce vitamin preparations and antibacterial, such as broad-spectrum antibiotics.
Parenteral dyspepsia refers to diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and occurs in the same way as simple dyspepsia. Treatment is aimed at eliminating the underlying disease. In this case, you need to switch to food appropriate for age.
In the prevention of dyspepsia, you need to follow a diet, do not overfeed the child, introduce complementary foods correctly and in the right sequence and follow the recommendations of doctors, treat intestinal disorders on time and follow the rules of hygiene when feeding.
[Video] Pediatric Gastroenterologist Khaldun Zayada – Functional Dyspepsia: