The children's body is most susceptible to various infections and the effects of negative factors. This is due to the immune system, which has a weak resistance and protection. Often in childhood there is such an unpleasant infectious disease as salmonellosis. And this is not surprising. Children often play in the street, pick up homeless animals, put dirty toys in their mouths, all this leads to various infectious infections, including salmonellosis. But if the treatment of this disease is not started in time, serious consequences can occur. Therefore, you need to know the main signs of salmonellosis in children, which will help you quickly determine the presence of this disease and conduct timely treatment.

What is salmonellosis

Salmonellosis in children is one of the most severe and common intestinal infections. which causes dehydration and weakening of the whole organism. Salmonella bacteria are the main source of infection.

Often there is salmonellosis in children under one year old. Children at this age are 5-6 times more likely to be affected by this disease. The main outbreaks of the disease occur in summer and autumn, when it is hot outside.

Factors of occurrence and ways of infection

Salmonellosis can develop not only in the human body, but the disease is often found in pets. There are about 700 types of pathogens that can provoke this disease in humans. These bacteria are quite resistant to the environment, but they can die at elevated temperatures.. The active development of bacteria occurs in eggs, in meat and dairy products, in oil. Harmful substances that bacteria secrete have a destructive effect on the intestinal mucosa, and also increase the secretion of fluids and salts.

How is salmonellosis transmitted? What are the ways of getting this infection? A newborn and an older child can become infected from pets; in rare situations, infection can occur from adults.

Identify the main sources of infection:

• food type. The pathogen enters the gastrointestinal tract of the child during the consumption of contaminated food. This is usually due to the low heat treatment of food. Also, infection can occur during the use of untreated water.
• Contact household. Usually this route of infection occurs in infants. Infection can occur through the unclean hands of medical staff or parents, through toys, pacifiers, various care products, as well as through the inhalation of dust particles.
• Transplacental. This type of infection involves the infection of a pregnant or lactating woman and, as a result, an unborn child. Pathogens can enter the fetus in utero or through the mother's breast milk.

The highest sensitivity to salmonellosis in children aged 3 months to 2-3 years. The main localization of the pathogen is the region of the rectum. During their reproduction, bacteria enter the bloodstream and lymph flow.

Common symptoms of salmonellosis

Salmonellosis in a child can be manifested by a group of infections that have different signs of manifestation and severity of the course. It all depends on the form of the disease.

There are usually two forms of salmonellosis:

1. Typical shape. It is divided into subspecies of infection - gastrointestinal, septic, typhoid;
2. atypical form. Subspecies of infection - erased, subclinical, bacteriocarrier.

The incubation period for salmonellosis in children can last from 2 hours to a week.. The duration of the incubation period depends on the level of damage, on the form of the disease and the number of bacteria that have entered the body.

For any form of the disease, the following symptoms are characteristic:

1. Acute start.
2. Fever state.
3. Frequent stools accompanied by a fetid odor.
4. Dehydration. Usually, in this condition, dry mucous membranes and skin are observed.

If this lesion occurs in an infant, then the newborn may experience pain in the tummy due to indigestion. Failure of the gastrointestinal tract of infants occurs due to general intoxication. Wherein body temperature may be within acceptable limits. In children, there is a slow weight gain, they become restless, there may be constant regurgitation, and the fontanel may also sink from dehydration.

Symptoms depending on the form of the disease

The symptoms of salmonellosis in children can vary. Usually, the signs of this infectious lesion depend on the type and extent of the lesion. Each variety of forms of this pathology proceeds differently and may have certain characteristic features.

Gastrointestinal toxic infection

In most cases, gastrointestinal salmonellosis occurs in infants and children under 1 year of age.. With this type of pathology, the internal organs of the digestive system are damaged. Manifested in the form of gastritis, enterocolitis, gastroenteritis.

The first signs of this type of lesion may be as follows:

• an increase in body temperature to 39-40 degrees or it can go into a subfebrile form;
• the occurrence of vomiting;
• pain in the abdomen;
• there may be abundant liquid stools, in which the presence of particles of undigested food is possible. The structure of the chair has a greenish tint, accompanied by a sour smell;
• bloating;
• a state of dehydration due to frequent vomiting and diarrhea.

Besides, Escherichia coli salmonella in children causes general intoxication, palpitations. Sometimes there may be convulsions and cold sweats. The state of asthenia and low blood pressure may persist for a long time after the acute symptoms have completely disappeared.

typhoid type

With this type of disease a child from one year to 3 years may have fever and stupefaction. This condition may take up to 14 days to appear. Seizures can come and go.

Signs accompanying this condition:

1. Loose stools with a watery structure, which can occur 3-5 times a day.
2. Flatulence.
3. Intoxication with malaise, state of weakness and headaches.
4. Dryness appears in the mouth, and a thickening of the tongue may also occur.
5. Rashes with hemorrhagic character appear on the skin.
6. The liver is enlarged.

septic form

This form is quite rare, mainly salmonellosis in infants occurs in a septic form.

What are the symptoms of septicemia?

• An increase in body temperature up to 40 degrees and above.
• Vomiting and diarrhea, loose stools may be with mucus and blood clots.
• Damage to the brain and its membranes.
• Fever and excessive sweating often occur;
• Increased heart rate.

After a complete recovery, children can shed infection bacteria for a month. If such carriage is observed for more than three months, then the consequences of salmonellosis in children become chronic.

What are the possible complications

Is salmonellosis dangerous? The main danger of this disease is that pathogenic organisms can spread throughout the body and cause the formation of local foci of infectious lesions on the internal organs. This disease causes a decrease in the immune system, in addition, with this disease, an exacerbation of chronic pathologies and a layering of new ones occur.

So why is salmonellosis dangerous? With this disease, the following complications may occur:

1. Edema of the brain and lungs.
2. Renal failure.
3. Peritonitis.
4. Abscess of internal organs.

Features of diagnostics

At the first symptoms of salmonellosis in a child, it is recommended to show it to an infectious disease specialist or a gastroenterologist. It is important that the diagnosis is carried out as early as possible, this will help to identify the disease in a timely manner and carry out the necessary treatment.

In order to make a diagnosis, the doctor conducts the following types of examinations:

• Analysis of feces, which determines the presence of dysbacteriosis.
• General blood analysis.
• Bakposev of vomit.
• Coprogram.
• RNHA - examination of the reaction of indirect hemagglutination of blood.

Treatment

After a child has been diagnosed with salmonellosis, treatment should be started, it is not easy to cure salmonellosis in a child, but it is necessary, since this disease can cause serious consequences or become chronic.

It is important that therapeutic therapy for each patient is carried out individually, because this disease occurs differently for everyone and has some distinctive features depending on the form of the disease. In addition, many types of pathogens have increased resistance to antibiotics, so they are prescribed only in exceptional cases. The main treatment should be directed to proper and healthy nutrition, as well as to the elimination of dehydration. If there are mild signs of infection, then treatment can be carried out at home. If there are complications, then hospitalization of the patient is indicated, followed by treatment in a hospital.

How to treat a child with nutrition? Children who are 2-3 years old and younger should be fed only natural foods. From the first days of the disease, it is recommended to follow the diet of table number 4. Be sure the food should be in a pureed and boiled form.

Permitted products include the following:

1. Oatmeal or boiled rice. They should be cooked in water.
2. Boiled fish.
3. Steamed meatballs.
4. Kissels on a fruit basis.
5. Meatballs.
6. Cottage cheese.
7. Hard cheese with a fat content of 0%.

It is forbidden to consume fats of animal origin, milk, coarse fiber.

The diet should be followed for 30 days. Food should be expanded gradually, it is allowed to add some products. After a month, you can switch to your usual diet, but on condition that all signs of infection have completely disappeared.

How to remove toxins

A person with salmonellosis should be given first aid - gastric lavage. This procedure will alleviate the condition, as well as remove toxic elements from the body that have a toxic effect. Self-washing can be done by children over 3 years old.

Features of home cleaning:

1. For cleansing, you will need a 2% sodium bicarbonate solution or water (2-3 liters).
2. The liquid for cleansing should be warm, its temperature should be about 20 degrees Celsius.
3. Next, you need to give the child a glass of water so that he drinks it.
4. You can induce vomiting by pressing on the root of the tongue.
5. Flushing is carried out until the water is completely clear..

How to correct dehydration

Oral rehydration after gastric lavage. Drinking solutions are made for the rehydration procedure, it is possible to use the following preparations:

• "Oralit";
• "Rehydron";
• Glucosolan.

Features of the use of these solutions:

1. It is usually recommended to give the child half or a full teaspoon of the solution every 5 minutes.
2. During a mild form of the disease, it is necessary to take about 30-40 ml of solution per 1 kilogram of weight per day.
3. In severe form, it is indicated to take 70 ml per 1 kilogram of weight.
4. Replenishment of water-salt reserves is carried out within 2-3 days until the complete disappearance of all symptoms of intoxication.

If salmonellosis is accompanied by frequent vomiting, which makes it impossible to drink these solutions, then in these cases rehydration is carried out intravenously. For intravenous administration, glucose is used.

Medical treatment

If the infectious lesion is severe, and if Salmonella is hypersensitive to drugs, then antibiotics for salmonellosis in children are the priority choice of therapy. Antibiotic agents of different groups are prescribed:

• penicillins - amoxiclav, ampicillin, flemoxin, etc.;
• cephalosporins - cefix, ceftriaxone;
• aminoglycosides - netilmicin;
• carbapenems - meropenem.

Additionally, the doctor may prescribe the use of enterosorbents - smecta, atoxyl, polysorb.

Since antibiotics can cause various digestive disorders, prebiotics must be prescribed to normalize the state of the intestinal microflora. The most effective peribotics include duphalac, linex, bifikol.

The treatment should be entrusted to the attending physician, who will optimally select the medicines, including during the recovery period, and also prescribe free prescription drugs for children.

Further observation

Be sure to monitor the patient's condition for three months after a full course of treatment. Every month it is necessary to carry out bakposev. If a negative result for salmonella is detected, then the child is removed from the register.

It is necessary to check people who have been in contact with the patient, they are monitored for 7 days. Bacteriological analysis of feces is taken from people who have been in contact with the patient. If the results are negative, then the person is considered healthy.

How to treat at home

Treatment of salmonellosis in children at home is carried out only in cases where the disease is mild. However, it is still recommended to consult with your doctor first. How is salmonellosis treated at home? In addition to antibiotics and drugs, folk remedies can be used at home.

An effective remedy is considered to be a tincture based on chamomile flowers, which is prepared according to the following scheme:

1. Pour 50 grams of dried chamomile flowers into the pan.
2. Pour chamomile with a glass of hot water.
3. We put on fire, boil and boil for 5 minutes.
4. Then everything is infused for 4 hours.
5. After that, the broth is filtered.

Ready tincture should be given to the child 100 ml several times a day.

Prevention

Prevention of salmonellosis in children will help to avoid the appearance of this disease:

• All food must be thoroughly cooked during cooking, especially animal products.
• If there is a carrier of infection in the house, then separate hygiene products and utensils should be allocated for it.
• In no case should the child take dirty toys, objects from the floor into his mouth.
• All toys must be washed with soap.
• Do not swim in dirty waters.
• It is necessary to limit the contact of children with poultry - chickens, ducks, geese.

If you follow all the recommendations, you can avoid contracting this infection. It should be borne in mind that salmonellosis is a dangerous infectious disease that can cause serious complications in children, so it is important to start treating this disease as early as possible.

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Salmonellosis is not a "childhood disease" and can develop at any age, but the disease is especially dangerous for young children. Symptoms of salmonellosis in children pose a threat to life, in addition, the disease has serious complications that can be fatal. The article will tell about how salmonellosis manifests itself in a child, why infection occurs and what drugs are prescribed to treat the disease.

Salmonellosis in children: features

Salmonellosis is an infectious intestinal disease that has an acute onset and a severe course. The disease is accompanied by severe symptoms of intoxication and dehydration.

The causative agent is a bacterium that mainly affects the small intestine - salmonella. The harmful microorganism belongs to the rod-shaped anaerobes. In the environment, it remains viable for a long time, for example, in water, a bacterium can exist for about 5 months, and in soil for about a year and a half.

Salmonella-contaminated foods are the main danger to humans. In livestock meat, the bacterium can remain viable for about 6 months, and in chicken carcasses for more than a year. Infected milk is a source of salmonellosis for 20 days, and kefir for about 30 days. After salmonella infection, butter remains a source of infection for humans for 4 months. Temperatures above 70 degrees are detrimental to bacteria. When the product is boiled, salmonella dies within 6-7 minutes.

Note: a salmonella-contaminated food product does not change its taste, so it is not possible to learn about its danger during its use.

Outbreaks of salmonellosis in children, as a rule, are massively recorded in the summer-autumn period. This is due to the violation of sanitary and hygienic standards in the hot season.

According to medical data, salmonellosis in infants is observed 6 times more often than in children older than the first year of life. In infants, the disease proceeds with septicemia (blood poisoning), and in older children, salmonellosis develops like typhoid.

Typical symptoms of salmonellosis in children

Signs of salmonellosis in a child can appear both after 5-6 hours, and after 5-6 days from the moment of infection. That's how long the incubation period is. Its duration depends on many factors, including the way the pathogen enters the body and individual susceptibility. After the incubation period, symptoms of malaise appear, depending on the age of the patient and the type of disease.

In newborns:

• symptoms of intestinal damage do not appear;
• body temperature does not rise;
• appetite decreases;
• there is a loss in weight;
• there is bloating, belching;
• blanching of the skin is observed;
• there are signs of anxiety.

In infants of the first year of life, the following symptoms of salmonellosis are observed:

• repeated vomiting;
• frequent bowel movements;
• increase in body temperature;
• refusal to eat;
• general deterioration of well-being.

In children of primary school and preschool age, salmonellosis manifests itself:

• severe pain in the abdomen;
• rise in temperature to 39 degrees;
• recurring episodes of vomiting;
• frequent loose stools;
• general weakness;
• decrease in appetite.

Important! In the absence of treatment, the patient develops signs of dehydration and intoxication of the body.

Gastrointestinal salmonellosis

As a rule, the disease develops according to the type of gastrointestinal toxic infection, with damage to the digestive tract. In this case, the symptoms of malaise appear sharply, suddenly. The patient's body temperature rises, aches, weakness, nausea appear, vomiting is observed. The child feels pain in the abdomen, mainly in its upper part and the navel. Soon he develops diarrhea, the stool becomes watery, fetid, has a greenish tint and a frothy consistency.

When examining a patient, the following signs of the disease can be noticed:

• pale skin;
• dryness of the tongue, the appearance of plaque on it;
• rumbling in the stomach, its swelling;
• moderate pain with pressure on the abdomen.

Typhoid-like salmonellosis

With the course of the disease by the type of typhoid, the following symptoms are observed in children:

• loose stools up to 5 times a day;
• flatulence, rumbling in the stomach;
• vomit;
• dry mouth, thickening of the tongue;
• skin rash;
• an increase in the size of the liver;
• weakness, headache.

Septic type of salmonellosis

This type of disease is the least common. Infants are most susceptible to its development. The septic type is characterized by the following symptoms:

• an increase in temperature to critical levels (40 degrees and above);
• repeated vomiting;
• loose stools, the presence of mucus and blood in the stool;
• cardiopalmus;
• increased sweating;
• muscle pain;
• sleep disturbance.

Causes and ways of infection

The cause of salmonellosis is the ingestion of Salmonella bacteria into the child's body. The likelihood of developing the disease increases if the baby has a tendency to allergies, weak immunity, and often suffers from infectious diseases.

Bacteria most often enter the body with water or food. The main sources of salmonellosis are chicken meat and eggs, milk, butter. If they are not properly heat treated during cooking, the bacteria do not die and enter the digestive tract through the mouth. In the small intestine, Salmonella actively multiply, during which ulcers and erosions form on the inner surface of the intestine, and tissue necrosis occurs.

In addition to salmonella-contaminated foods, the source of the disease can be another person infected with salmonella. It is this pathway that becomes the main way of transmission of infection in infants of the first year of life. Infection can occur due to non-compliance with hygiene standards by parents, loved ones and medical workers in contact with the child. Newborns can become infected with salmonellosis from a mother who had the disease during pregnancy. In addition, the air-dust transmission route of infection is possible - the baby inhales dust particles in which salmonella are present.

Note: Salmonella can be found in the body not only in humans, but also in pets, while they may not show signs of illness. This is the so-called carrier. The development of salmonellosis in children is possible after contact with a sick animal.

Disease danger

Salmonellosis in children without proper and timely treatment can result in serious complications and even death. That is why it is so important to know how the disease manifests itself, and in case of its occurrence, seek medical help. The causative agent of the disease is able to spread throughout the body through the bloodstream, which can provoke the formation of foci of infection in other vital organs: the kidneys, lungs, and brain.

Possible consequences of salmonellosis in children:

• the occurrence of seizures;
• swelling of the brain and lungs;
• kidney failure;
• reactive form of arthritis;
• peritonitis;
• development of abscesses on the internal organs;
• death.

Salmonella Control Methods

Treatment of salmonellosis in children at home is possible only with a mild course of the disease. Moderate severity and severe cases require a mandatory stay of the patient in the hospital. Even if the treatment is carried out at home, it must be prescribed and monitored by a doctor.

• gastric lavage;
• taking medication to kill salmonella;
• taking medications to restore the functioning of the digestive tract;
• removal of toxins from the body;
• dieting;
• maintaining a drinking regimen.

Important! Gastric lavage in children should be carried out by a medical professional. Children under 3 years of age do not wash.

Medicines

The child is prescribed antibiotics that have a detrimental effect on salmonella. It can be Levomycetin or Doxycycline. As a symptomatic therapy, appoint:

Diet

If the child is not breastfed, his diet is adjusted. The diet for salmonellosis in children involves the exclusion from the diet of animal fats, milk and dairy products, pickled, spicy, rough, hard to digest food, sweets, semi-finished products.

Important! If the child refuses to eat, do not force him. The main thing is that he drinks enough fluids. The primary task of parents is to give water to the baby.

The child needs to be soldered with water, herbal teas, compote. Drinking drinks and water in one gulp and in large quantities is contraindicated, as this will provoke another bout of vomiting. The baby should drink in small sips, but often.

If there is an appetite, the child can be offered to eat boiled rice or oatmeal, mashed potatoes (without butter and milk), boiled zucchini and low-fat fish, jelly, biscuit cookies, crackers.

After stabilization of the baby's condition, he should follow the diet for at least 3 more weeks.

Prevention of salmonellosis in children, which consists in observing the rules of personal hygiene, attentive and responsible attitude to the process of cooking and choosing food for the child, washing hands after contact with pets, will protect the children's body from such a terrible enemy as salmonella.

We tell you what childhood salmonellosis is and how dangerous it is, what are the symptoms of this disease, how to treat it, and what complications can occur.

Salmonellosis is a common and rather unpleasant disease. The peak of the disease occurs in the summer-autumn period, since the heat is a favorable factor for the reproduction of bacteria. Moreover, it is not necessary for the child to greedily eat contaminated dust - Salmonella bacteria can be inhaled with dust and transferred to the mouth by simply stroking a street kitten.

But sane and informed parents may well reduce the likelihood of illness and help the child if it still fails to save.

Let's find out how to deal with salmonellosis.

Salmonella bacteria are the main source of infection. Salmonella are small mobile bacteria that retain their viability for a long time and have a high level of adaptation to the environment. So, in the water of open reservoirs they can live up to 5 months, in the soil - up to 18 months, in meat and sausages - from 2 to 4 months, in frozen meat - about 6 months (in carcasses of birds - more than a year), in milk - up to 20 days, in kefir - up to 2 months, in butter - up to 4 months, in cheeses - up to 1 year. To date, there are more than 2,500 species of Salmonella that cause various diseases.

The environment for the reproduction of Salmonella is the human body and animals. Therefore, before eating animal products, subject them to thorough heat treatment. Dangerous bacteria are found not only in food, but also on household items and in drinking water.

Causes of salmonellosis. Main routes of infection

Food is the most common route of infection, the cause of which is insufficient heat treatment, violation of sanitary and epidemiological standards for the storage and transportation of products, and non-compliance with personal hygiene rules.

Contact household. Infection of children with salmonellosis occurs when communicating with a sick person, with people caring for animals that are infected or are carriers of the infection. Bacteria can survive for a long time on toys, clothes, towels and other items that a sick person has come into contact with. This route of infection is the main one for infants.

Transplacental - from mother to fetus.

You can get infected with salmonellosis even where you did not expect at all: for example, by eating a cake with cream in a cafe, where there is poor sanitary control over the production and quality of products. In some products (milk, meat products), Salmonella can not only persist, but also multiply. Salting and smoking have a very weak effect on them, and freezing even increases the survival time of microorganisms in products. Almost all animals are infected with salmonella to some extent, many of them are healthy carriers. Among birds, the chicken is the leader in the likelihood that an absolutely healthy bird is a carrier of salmonellosis. Today it is one of the leading ways of spreading this disease.

The unique ability of the bacterium is that when food is contaminated, it does not change their color, smell or taste in any way. Any product where Salmonella can potentially breed is a threat to a child.

No one is immune from salmonella infection. There are two ways to avoid the disease: do not eat foods or process them thermally.

The child's body is very vulnerable to various infectious diseases under the influence of negative factors. Indeed, in childhood, intestinal immunity is only developing and still weakly protects the baby. Therefore, to prevent the disease, doctors do not recommend that children under 5 years of age contact with pets and eat raw animal products.

Symptoms of salmonellosis in children

Salmonellosis, like any intestinal infection, always manifests itself with standard symptoms. The incubation period for salmonellosis varies from several hours to 2 days. Both children and adults can become infected.

Usually, the smaller the child, the faster the disease sets in. The acute period of the disease lasts 5-7 days, but with abundant drinking, recovery occurs after 3-4 days.

Symptoms of childhood salmonellosis:

acute onset;

rumbling in the stomach;

severe pain in the navel;

• vomiting, sometimes with the presence of mucus and bile;

• a sharp increase in temperature;

  lethargy, weakness;

  the tongue is covered with a characteristic coating, an unpleasant odor comes from the mouth.

Children under the age of two are most susceptible to infection, as they take dirty hands and various objects into their mouths when teeth are cut, and hygiene skills at this age are still poorly developed.

Symptoms of salmonellosis in children under one year old:

lethargy, loud and harsh sounds cause anxiety in the baby;

refusal to eat;

frequent stool;

on the 3rd day of the disease, the temperature rises;

the stool becomes liquid, watery, green;

dry mouth and intense thirst are a symptom of the onset of dehydration.

Salmonellosis in children under one year old can last for several weeks or even months. After the illness, the baby may have pain in the abdomen, irregular stools, increased allergies for 2 months.

Salmonellosis in children 2 years of age and older occurs in the form of gastritis and gastroenteritis.

Symptoms of salmonellosis in children 2 years old:

bloating and pain in the abdomen;

symptoms of intoxication - weakness, lethargy, high body temperature;

vomiting, pieces of undigested food may come across;

stool with salmonellosis - frequent, plentiful.

Treatment of salmonellosis in children

The first signs of salmonellosis are a reason for mom to call an ambulance. Treatment of children's salmonellosis consists in preventing the onset of dehydration by parents. Oral rehydration products should always be in any child's first aid kit. It is important to give the child a sufficient amount of liquid - it can be water, compote, fruit drink.

Key points in treatment:

oral rehydration with saline solutions;

active feeding of the child: if the child refuses to drink, it is necessary to drink it with a teaspoon or from a syringe every 5 minutes;

the first day - hunger, then - a special diet;

preparations containing probiotics;

antipyretic at high temperature;

bed rest is indicated for mild disease for 1 week, for severe - up to 3 weeks.

The basis for hospitalization is the severity of the child's condition. With a mild form of the disease, salmonellosis is treated at home. With strict control over the amount of fluid you drink and if you follow a diet, the disease, as a rule, goes away on its own.

Quite often, the symptoms of salmonellosis in children of 6 years old are mistaken for mum and dad for banal poisoning. Therefore, it makes sense to be tested for salmonellosis even with home treatment. This will allow you to accurately find the cause of the disease and make the correct diagnosis.

It has been scientifically proven that taking antibiotics for salmonellosis prolongs the course of the disease. To date, there are international recommendations for the use of antibiotics in the treatment of salmonellosis. They are needed for children with a weakened immune system, children under 2 months of age and when salmonella penetrates beyond the intestines.

40% of all Salmonella are multidrug-resistant bacteria, which means they are practically unaffected by antibiotics. Scientists around the world urge not to treat only intestinal manifestations of salmonellosis with antibiotics. Nevertheless, the protocol of our country provides for the treatment of salmonellosis with antibiotics for children of any age and for any severity of the disease.

Diet for salmonellosis in children

When salmonellosis occurs in children, the symptoms and treatment of which have already been considered, then a certain diet must be followed. Nutrition at home should be sparing in order to protect the intestinal mucosa from strong chemical and mechanical effects.

The salmonella diet includes:

cereals, mainly from buckwheat and millet;

mashed potatoes on the water;

soups with vegetable broth;

dietary meat - rabbit, chicken, turkey, beef.

The following foods are prohibited:

milk - in the first week of the disease, all dairy products are excluded;

raw vegetables and fruits;

spicy, fatty, fried foods.

Complications and consequences of salmonellosis in children

Salmonellosis manifests itself in three different forms - typhoid, septic and gastrointestinal. Complications after salmonellosis continue to remind themselves in the form of dysbacteriosis, constipation, diathesis (skin rashes), stool disorders.

In more severe forms of the disease and with untimely admission to the hospital, complications of salmonellosis develop, such as vascular collapse, kidney and heart failure, toxic shock, dehydration, meningitis.

The consequences of salmonellosis can be different and depend on the form of the disease. For example, in infants, abdominal pain persists and irregular stools are observed.

Sometimes, after an illness, during laboratory tests, Salmonella bacteria can be determined in the body of a child. Then the treatment is extended and a diet lasting 3 months is prescribed.

Salmonellosis can exacerbate chronic diseases and turn diseases into a chronic stage.

Often, a child who has been ill with salmonellosis does not have otitis media, pneumonia, and tonsillitis for a long time. The baby may remain a carrier of bacteria, and this may already lead to the child being banned from attending kindergartens and schools.

To reduce the likelihood of such a dangerous disease as salmonellosis, it is enough to observe and teach the child the basic rules of hygiene. Following the principles of safe food will protect your family from low-quality and contaminated products.

Take care of yourself and your children! And most importantly, if you suspect salmonellosis, do not self-medicate, but consult a doctor immediately!

Salmonellosis is often found in children, especially in the summer-autumn season - when it is hot outside. Despite the fact that the name of the bacterium "salmonella" is more like the name of a fairy from an overseas fairy tale, for children, meeting this insidious stranger can turn into a real tragedy, not a fictional one. However, if parents are “savvy” and well informed about how to behave with a baby with salmonellosis, they are able to significantly alleviate his condition and speed up recovery ...

Contrary to popular belief, quail eggs can also be a source of salmonellosis along with chicken ones. Well, apart from eggs, the harmful salmonella bacterium, which can temporarily turn the life of any child and his parents into a real nightmare, can be hidden in any animal (even in your pet), in any bird, and in almost any raw food of animal origin.

What is salmonella and how does it threaten children's health

Salmonellosis in children is one of the most insidious and, why pretend, one of the most disgusting. Moreover, salmonella is a giant family of harmful bacteria. Today, science has already described about 2,500 varieties of Salmonella, but every year this number increases by about fifty species of related bacteria.

All types of Salmonella can multiply in food. But at the same time, none of them in any way changes either the color, or the external gloss, or the smell of the product in which it “settled”. In other words, a testicle without salmonella inside, and a testicle with millions of salmonella inside, do not differ in any way from each other in appearance, taste, or smell.

By the way, the idea that it is chickens and chicken eggs that are stuffed with harmful and dangerous salmonella is erroneous. Almost all animals and birds are healthy carriers of Salmonella. But indeed, among birds, chicken is the leader in the number of dangerous salmonella microbes that it is able to “transmit” to humans.

And not so much through meat or eggs, but through your own droppings, the remains of which can almost always be found on the surface of the eggs. You take them in your hands, put them in a saucepan and boil them, thinking that boiling will kill all the bad bacteria, even if they were there. But it is likely that salmonella at this very moment is at your fingertips, which usually does not enter into the plans of a reasonable person to cook. Now touch yourself, or touch the baby - and here is a potential salmonella infection for you ...

The source of infection with salmonellosis can be:

• Unheated meat and dairy products, as well as bird eggs (and especially those foods that have been stored for a long time or incorrectly);
• Wild and domestic animals and birds, which themselves never get sick with salmonellosis, but are carriers of bacteria. Especially common sources of salmonellosis are domestic turtles, hamsters and parrots. It is enough for a baby to kiss his beloved pet in order to “pick up” harmful bacteria from him;
• Another person with salmonellosis;
• Dust, earth and dried faeces (or bird droppings) in which Salmonella bacteria can easily live and remain active for several tens of months. Moreover, it is not at all necessary that the child greedily eats contaminated dust or earth with poop - salmonella bacteria can be inhaled with dust and transferred to the mouth, having previously stroked a street kitten, etc.
• In some cases, it is possible to become infected with salmonellosis even through water, in which bacteria can also “comfortably” exist.

Food is considered to be the most common source of salmonellosis.

Children of the first 5 years of life suffer the most from salmonellosis. Since they have extremely low intestinal immunity, but at the same time they actively “drag” food, toys, and various objects into their mouths. Salmonellosis is especially dangerous for newborns and children of the first 2 years of life.

It must be remembered that high temperatures (heat treatment, pasteurization) in the vast majority of cases kill Salmonella, while no freezing is terrible for her.

Symptoms of salmonellosis in children

The incubation period for salmonellosis in children can be very short, only a few hours. But usually it is 1-2 days. As a rule, the younger the baby, the faster the disease makes itself felt.

Since salmonellosis is a typical intestinal infection, it manifests itself with all the traditional signs of a severe intestinal disorder. The most obvious symptoms of salmonellosis include:

• Nausea;
• Vomit;
• Diarrhea (often with clots of mucus and blood);
• Pain and rumbling in the abdomen;
• fever (fever);
• Dehydration;
• Against the background of extreme dehydration - loss of consciousness, orientation, profuse cold sweat, convulsions.

All these symptoms of salmonellosis will most likely tell you that the child has an acute phase of one of the intestinal infections. And your task in this case is to call a doctor as soon as possible or take the baby to a medical facility. And only there, after certain tests, doctors will already be able to determine the exact diagnosis - whether the child has salmonellosis, or dysentery, or typhoid fever, or some other intestinal "beast". And only after the tests and diagnosis will the appropriate treatment be prescribed - after all, each specific intestinal infection in children is treated in its own way.

Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are the first and most "obvious" symptoms of salmonellosis in children.

There are several varieties of salmonellosis (contact salmonellosis, food poisoning, septic forms of salmonellosis, and others).

The most dangerous and terrible form of the disease for children is septic salmonellosis. As a rule, it affects newborns or children of the first 2 years of life. A distinctive feature of the septic form of salmonellosis is a sharp increase in temperature to critical values ​​(up to 40 ° C and above), in which irreversible brain damage occurs.

It is absolutely not necessary for parents to bother with the specific differences between one type of salmonellosis in children from another - this is the business of health workers. Yes, and you should not waste your time on this! Before the doctor arrives (and if the child has a fever, vomiting and diarrhea do not go away for a long time, and his condition worsens, then an ambulance must be called without delay!) You have other, much more important, tasks ...

With salmonellosis in a child: what needs to be done before the doctor arrives

If the child “on the face” has all the signs of an intestinal infection (this is salmonellosis or something else, the doctor will confirm it later), then the only thing that parents and other household members can and should do before the doctor arrives is to warn the baby with all their might and means dehydration and alleviate his condition.

After all, children suffer the most (and even sometimes die!) With intestinal infections, not from the infections themselves, but from extreme dehydration, which is provoked by profuse vomiting and diarrhea in the company of high temperatures. These three factors literally dry out the baby's body, but it is in your power to try to reverse this extremely negative scenario - to restore the water-salt reserve in the child's body, and thereby greatly facilitate the course of an intestinal infection.

How to prevent dehydration in a child with salmonellosis and other intestinal infections:

The ideal option is to use special oral rehydration products. These are special powders that are sold in pharmacies, and which, before use, you just need to dilute with the required amount of water.

No pharmacy powders on hand? Prepare the solution yourself according to the recipe of the World Health Organization:

For 1 liter of pure non-carbonated water, dilute 2 tbsp. l. sugar, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp. baking soda. Mix thoroughly and feed this drink to the child as intensively as possible.

It is clear that such a saline solution is not the most delicious delicacy in the world. And not all children (and especially those who feel sick, throw up, feel sick and constantly “pull on the potty”) will agree to voluntarily drink this. And if the baby does not drink saline in any way, let him drink any other drink (tea, fruit drink, compote, plain water, etc.). In this case, the priority is to replenish the fluid in the child's body by any available means. Salt solution is the ideal and fastest option to fill the deficiency of fluid in organs and tissues. But if it is impossible - use any other way to drink the baby.

If the child is a newborn baby or baby, it will not work at all to drink it in the usual way. Meanwhile, it is the children of the first months of life who lose fluid during intestinal infections extremely rapidly, which is a direct threat to their lives.

In such a situation, call an ambulance! And before her arrival, gently pour saline solution into the corner of the baby's mouth (see the recipe above) from a regular syringe (of course, without any needles!).

Even if the child feels more or less tolerable - he does not have a strong fever and fainting, but he is “tormented” by diarrhea and vomiting - and you decide to “survive” salmonellosis at home (without visits to the infectious diseases hospital), the regimen of heavy drinking must be observed strictly.

If a child has symptoms of even a mild intestinal infection (and the same salmonellosis is not always severe, sometimes it can simply resemble indigestion - especially in older children), this child must be transferred to a regimen of temporary fasting and drinking plenty of water.

On average, the acute period of salmonellosis in children does not exceed 5-7 days. But if you manage to generously water the child, he will become noticeably better already on the 2nd-3rd day of illness.

Treatment of salmonellosis in children

Since salmonella belongs to a class of bacteria, it is logical to assume that salmonellosis should be treated with one or another antibiotic. However, the antibiotic must be chosen exactly the one that can act on the pathogen that attacked your child (and we recall that there are already more than 2,500 species of Salmonella in nature). Therefore, prescribing a medicine without preliminary laboratory analysis (isolation of the pathogen from the liquid - urine, vomit, etc., as well as sowing the pathogen for sensitivity to antimicrobial agents) is actually a game of roulette.

The first and most important stage in the treatment of salmonellosis in children is a laboratory analysis.

Children with extremely severe manifestations of an intestinal infection, as well as infants (up to 3 years old) with suspected intestinal infection, are hospitalized without fail. If the child suffers “moderately” and there is no threat to his life and health, then the doctor can prescribe treatment at home.

In addition to antimicrobial therapy, a mandatory and extremely important element of treatment for salmonellosis is the prevention of dehydration, temporary starvation or a very light diet and bed rest. The diet schedule is also not a subject for parental self-treatment - the doctor will prescribe a diet for the baby, based on their individual characteristics of the child, as well as on the severity of the disease.

In some cases, with mild forms of salmonellosis in children, the infectious disease specialist decides to use special intestinal antiseptics instead of antibiotics.

After recovery, for about a month, salmonella will be detected in the baby's tests. Therefore, as a rule, even outwardly already completely healthy, cheerful and strong baby with a good appetite for several months after suffering salmonellosis remains registered with an infectious disease specialist.

Measures to prevent salmonellosis in children: be careful not only in summer!

Indeed, summer is the “hottest” season for salmonellosis, the percentage of sick children in the hot months increases several times. This is partly due to the fact that at temperatures in the range from +25 to +45 ° Salmonella bacteria multiply extremely actively. In addition, food spoils more easily and faster in summer, children play in the sand and earth almost around the clock, the number of stray animals increases - all these factors together explain the increase in the number of cases of intestinal infections.

But this does not mean that the prevention of salmonellosis is important only in the hot months. After all, you can also catch bacteria from a plate of New Year's Olivier, which, for example, got infected eggs or chicken meat. So, what will help to potentially protect your child from salmonellosis:

• 1 No matter how outraged the defenders of farm eco-nutrition, the facts today are as follows: most often the sources of salmonellosis are meat and dairy products, as well as chicken and quail eggs, which were purchased in the so-called "private" sector - from the grandmother in the market, on a small farm in the countryside, etc. The bottom line is that all major producers (regional meat and dairy farms, poultry farms, etc.) must take a number of measures to prevent salmonellosis, their products are regularly analyzed and checked by sanitary and epidemiological supervision, etc. Alas, private small-town producers are deprived of such control. From which it follows that buying eggs and meat with milk in large supermarkets is safer from the point of view of preventing salmonellosis than in private farms.
• 2 In the kitchen, make sure that raw or unwashed food and cooked food do not sit side by side on the same shelf or on the same plate.
• 3 Follow the basic rules of household hygiene: clean the house (apartment), wash your hands, make sure that the products are stored properly.
• 4 When buying products in the store, always pay attention to their expiration date and storage conditions. Eggs, vegetables, and fruits are highly recommended to be washed before eating - even though you are likely to remove the shell from the egg and the peel from the vegetables and fruits while eating.
• 5 Meat products need to be prepared "on conscience" - boiled and fried.

In general, the rules for the prevention of salmonellosis (as well as most other intestinal infections) are unpretentious and simple. Most of us, without any threat of getting an insidious “sore”, strictly observe them. But despite the external banality, it is these daily simple manipulations, by and large, that protect our lives and health. And what is most valuable is the life and health of our children!

Rightfully earned a reputation as one of the most insidious childhood intestinal diseases. Most often, his triumph comes during the heat, in summer and early autumn. The bacterium with the beautiful name “salmonella” causes the disease, but meeting with it is extremely undesirable, as it threatens the child with very serious troubles. At the moment, scientists know more than two and a half thousand species of bacteria of the genus Salmonella, the number of which is actively increasing. They are resistant to environmental factors, easily tolerate low temperatures, but thermal and decontamination have a detrimental effect on them.

Causes of salmonellosis in a child

The main causes of the disease are products of animal origin, such as dairy products, meat, eggs. If the products have been stored for a long time, especially in violation of the temperature regime, then the risk of infection increases significantly. Some types of bacteria that cause salmonellosis are able to exist by multiplying, releasing harmful toxins in food for up to 6 months.

The insidiousness of the pathogen lies in the fact that it is impossible to visually distinguish an infected product from a safe one. Unsuitability is not expressed either by color or smell, outwardly the products are identical.

Almost everyone can be carriers of salmonellosis, but chicken has the palm in terms of the number of harmful microbes carried. It is her litter that contains the most of these dangerous bacteria, which, as a rule, remain on the shell of eggs, and then on our hands. In second place are waterfowl.

You can also become infected with salmonellosis:

1. From pets such as parrots, hamsters and turtles. All of them are carriers of salmonellosis, although they never get sick with it themselves;
2. Through the earth, sand, dried feces of birds and animals, which can enter the child's body due to unwashed hands;
3. From a person with salmonellosis;
4. It happens that infection occurs through water into which Salmonella bacteria have entered;
5. Transplacental, that is, in utero (a child can become infected from a sick mother).

Most often, preschoolers suffer from salmonellosis (almost 65% of all cases), as children of this age try to try everything “by the tooth”. The disease poses the greatest danger to newborns and children under the age of. In some extremely severe cases, the disease can be fatal.

The place of localization of salmonella is the small intestine, in which the incubation period of the disease passes, after which the bacteria are carried with the bloodstream throughout the body.

The latent period of salmonellosis is short, from one day to a week, and the younger the child, the faster the symptoms appear.

Videos salmonellosis in children

Types of salmonellosis in children

Salmonellosis is divided into two kinds: typical and atypical.

Typical the view, in turn, has the form:

• Gastrointestinal;
• Typhoid;
• Septic.

The most common among children is gastrointestinal form salmonellosis, which affects various parts of the intestine. Most often, infection in children manifests itself in the form of enterocolitis and gastroenterocolitis (50-70% of all its manifestations).

The symptoms of this form are the same as most. The acute onset is accompanied by pain in the epigastric region, stool disorder (- watery feces, often mixed with blood with a pungent odor). Often, a sick child has a fever, and in severe cases, against the background of dehydration, convulsions with loss of consciousness are noted.

typhoid form salmonellosis is much less common. It affects older children. The disease begins with a sharp rise in temperature (39-40ºС), headache, loss of appetite, dyspeptic disorders. There is a gray coating on the tongue, a sharp pain in the abdomen. The most dangerous is the state when the patient develops delirium, obscuration of mind.

septic form salmonellosis occurs in the smallest: newborns, weakened babies, infants. The disease begins with a strong one, which does not fall for a long time and fluctuates throughout the day. The chair, as a rule, is quickened, purulent foci appear with a clinic of meningococcal infection.

atypical appearance salmonellosis includes: subclinical, erased and bacteriocarrier. These species are not common in children.

Treatment of salmonellosis in a child

If the infection nevertheless penetrated the baby’s body, and there are clear symptoms of an intestinal disorder, you should immediately call a doctor, and while the doctor is on the way, try to help the child alleviate his condition on his own.

The first thing to do in this situation is to prevent dehydration. Water the child with sorbents and rehydrative drugs, which are freely available at any pharmacy. Or prepare such a solution yourself, which will require elementary products that are in every home: in 1 liter of warm boiled water, 2 tbsp. spoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of baking soda. This solution should be taken in small portions as often as possible.

If the child refuses this very tasteless drink, drink plain boiled water, compote, light chamomile decoction or tea: it is necessary that liquid enters the child's body. If the child is too small to drink on his own, you need to pour liquid into him with a syringe into the corner of his mouth.

For babies up to 2-3 years old with acute symptoms, mandatory hospitalization is provided. Older children with moderate symptoms can be treated at home.

The very first thing that is necessary for the appointment of the correct treatment is a thorough laboratory study. Analyzes must be passed to determine what kind of infection has settled in the body of your child, and which one will work in the best way. Treatment of salmonellosis, like other intestinal infections, should be comprehensive. In addition to antibiotic therapy, the doctor usually prescribes enzymes, bifidumbacterin, and antispasmodics to relieve severe intestinal pain. In addition, for some time you will have to adhere to a sparing diet, and possibly starvation. And, of course, to observe bed rest. It happens that when salmonellosis occurs in a mild form, the doctor prescribes intestinal antiseptics instead of antimicrobial therapy.

The most acute, dangerous and unpleasant period of the disease usually lasts no more than a week, and with proper treatment, the child's well-being improves already on the second or third day. However, after the treatment has been completed, in a fully recovered baby, salmonella will be detected in laboratory tests for some time.

Salmonellosis can cause - one of the most common complications, in which the activity of the child's gastrointestinal tract returns to normal only after two to three months.

Prevention of salmonellosis in children

What do parents need to know to protect their children from salmonellosis infection? Of course, many factors do not depend on them at all, but on veterinary and sanitary and epidemic services, which are required to monitor compliance with general sanitary standards at dairies, meat processing plants and poultry farms. But what depends on the parents is not at all difficult to implement.

Firstly, you need to carefully choose products at retail outlets, it is important to pay attention to the timing of their release, wash fruits, vegetables and even eggs well before use, despite the fact that the shell will subsequently be removed.

Secondly, properly store food: make sure that raw and cooked foods are not stored side by side.

Thirdly, subject meat and dairy products to heat treatment. It is good to fry or boil meat, boil milk.

And, of course, keep the house clean, teach children to wash their hands after coming from the street, going to the toilet and just before eating.

These are the simple rules you need to know in order to avoid an unpleasant acquaintance with salmonellosis and defeat this insidious disease as soon as possible, if acquaintance with it nevertheless happened.

Attention! The use of any medicines and dietary supplements, as well as the use of any medical methods, is possible only with the permission of a doctor.