Acute dyspepsia in children. Treatment of functional dyspepsia in children. Baby care

The child complains of abdominal pain, heaviness in the stomach, nausea, loose stool and he is tormented by gases. Are these symptoms always manifestations of intestinal infection, poisoning or chronic organ disease? gastrointestinal tract? The baby may have functional dyspepsia - a digestive disorder.

What is dyspepsia

Dyspepsia in children is a digestive disorder that manifests itself as a whole complex of symptoms and occurs due to disruption of the gastrointestinal tract. These malfunctions in the digestive system can be caused by dietary errors or diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Dyspepsia syndrome in modern gastroenterology is a preliminary concept that is used in the early stages of diagnosis. Further examination of the patient helps doctors decipher the term and make a final diagnosis.

In young children, dyspepsia is most often associated with immaturity of the digestive organs and occurs due to poor nutrition.

Classification of dyspeptic disorders: functional and organic types

Depending on the causes of indigestion, there are two main groups:

Functional;
Organic.

The organic form develops against the background of other diseases of the digestive system, for example, biliary dyskinesia, pancreatitis, inflammation gallbladder, liver. The symptoms of such dyspepsia are stronger and do not go away for a long time.
Functional digestive disorder - this diagnosis is given to children after one year; the concept of nutritional dyspepsia is applicable to babies under 12 months. In essence, this is the same thing; such a disorder is associated with poor nutrition, enzyme deficiency or other diseases that cause temporary disturbances in the normal process of food absorption.

Classification functional dyspepsia depending on the reasons:

Simple (nutritional) - occurs due to errors in nutrition:
- fermentation - carbohydrates predominate in the patient’s diet;
- putrefactive - excess protein products in the diet;
- fatty (soap or steatorrhea) - a lot of fatty foods;
Enzymatic:
- gastrogenic (stomach) - lack of gastric enzymes;
- pancreatogenic (pancreatic) - lack of pancreatic enzymes;
- hepatogenic (liver) - impaired bile secretion;
- enterogenous (intestinal) - lack of intestinal digestive juices;
Dyspepsia resulting from malabsorption of nutrients in the intestine due to malabsorption (congenital pathology);
Toxic - can develop due to an untreated simple form of the disorder;
Dyspepsia due to intestinal infection - salmonellosis, shigellosis, etc.;
Parenteral (intoxication) - the root cause is other diseases (for example, influenza, pneumonia, otitis) or acute poisoning with toxic substances.

Depending on the symptoms, there are 4 types of nutritional dyspepsia:

ulcer-like;
reflux-like;
dyskinetic;
nonspecific.

Video - What is dyspepsia

Causes and development factors

In newborns, physiological dyspeptic syndrome is observed on days 3–5 of life and is associated with adaptation to the external environment. This is a transient condition and is referred to as the “borderline state” of the newborn.

Digestive disorders in babies under one year of age are most often associated with poor nutrition:

violation of the feeding regime;
overfeeding;
monotonous and meager nutrition;
a sharp transition to artificial feeding or feeding with low-quality formulas;
Not proper nutrition nursing mother;
early introduction of complementary foods (before 3–4 months).

In young children, the organs of the digestive system are adapted to ingesting food of a certain composition and volume, so any errors lead to disruptions in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
Overheating of a small child can also cause digestive upset, since increased electrolyte losses through sweat lead to a decrease in the acidity of gastric juice.
If nutritional dyspepsia is not treated, it can acquire a toxic course in which toxic substances from bacterial metabolism are absorbed, which causes general intoxication and disruption of the functions of all body systems. A toxic form of indigestion can also develop against the background of an intestinal infection.
The parenteral form occurs secondary to the influence of viruses or microbes that caused another disease in the child.
In older children and adolescents, nutritional dyspepsia occurs due to wrong mode nutrition, frequent consumption of fast food, salty, fatty foods, smoked foods, sweet snacks, dry food. Functional dyspeptic disorders can also be caused by stress, heavy emotional and educational stress.

Dyspepsia can occur in any child, but children born ahead of schedule, with perinatal damage to the nervous system, malnutrition, anemia, hypovitaminosis, patients with rickets, prone to allergies, diathesis.

Symptoms of dyspepsia can be accompanied by helminthic infestations - enterobiasis, ascariasis, giardiasis.

Symptoms of the disorder in childhood

In babies of the first year of life, simple dyspepsia occurs acutely or with preceding symptoms: anxiety, causeless crying, breast refusal or loss of appetite, regurgitation. After some time, stools become more frequent up to 5–8 times a day, stools become liquid, foul-smelling, heterogeneous, with various impurities and inclusions.
The nature of bowel movements depends on the reasons that caused the disorder:

In the fermentative form, the stool is watery, foamy, with a green tint and a sour odor. The baby suffers from increased gas production, colic, and his stomach growls and gurgles.
When overfeeding with protein foods (putrefactive dyspepsia), the feces are loose, not abundant, dark, may be grayish in color, with lumps, an unpleasant pungent odor, as well as the gases released. This form of the disease is characterized by prolonged diarrhea.
For steatorrhea (fatty dyspepsia), stools are greasy, light-colored, and may be discolored.

With any type of disorder, the child’s stomach is swollen, gases often pass, he regurgitates a lot, and vomiting is possible. Intestinal colic manifests itself as pain before bowel movement - the baby cries and kicks its legs. Due to refusal of food, the baby loses weight. Normal nutritional dyspepsia can last from 2 to 7 days. At this time, the child may develop stomatitis, thrush, and often have diaper rash.
If the baby is weakened or a functional digestive disorder does not receive proper treatment, toxic dyspepsia develops.

It has the following symptoms:
heat;
severe vomiting;

loose stools, frequent up to 15–20 times a day. Dehydration leads to a sharp weight loss, retraction of the large fontanelle, decreased turgor (elasticity) of the skin, impaired reflexes, and drying out of the mucous membranes. There is a risk of seizures and loss of consciousness.

In older children, indigestion occurs with pain that occurs periodically in the epigastrium, more often after eating. The child complains of nausea, loss of appetite, feeling of a full stomach, heartburn, belching, diarrhea or constipation. These symptoms worsen due to overload or stress and may be accompanied by headaches, dizziness, and sweating.

In accordance with the clinical picture, functional disorders can occur in 4 variants:

Ulcer-like - manifested by pain in the stomach area, which subsides after eating or taking antispasmodics and antacids;
Dyskinetic - characterized unpleasant sensations in epigastrium, which become stronger after eating, a feeling of overeating, increased gas formation, intolerance to certain foods;
Reflux-like - expressed by nausea, vomiting, regurgitation, belching, heartburn, flatulence;
Nonspecific - may manifest itself with symptoms characteristic of any other variants of the clinical picture.

Diagnostics

The diagnosis is made by a pediatrician or pediatric gastroenterologist. First, the doctor seeks to differentiate organic and functional dyspepsia.

For this purpose the following is carried out:

Ultrasound of organs abdominal cavity;
X-ray examination of the stomach;
esophagogastroduodenoscopy (after 7 years);
diagnosis of H. pylori, mainly non-invasively - by performing a breath test;
electrogastrography to determine the motor function of the stomach.

The examinations make it possible to differentiate simple dyspepsia and acute intestinal infections, dysbacteriosis, emergency surgical conditions - acute abdomen (appendicitis, acute pyelonephritis, pylorospasm, hepatitis), as well as chronic gastrointestinal diseases - gastroduodenitis, cholecystitis, pancreatitis, enterocolitis, peptic ulcer.

The coprogram allows you to determine the performance of the digestive organs and the form of the disorder:

with fermentative dyspepsia, feces have low acidity and a high level of iodophilic flora;
in the putrefactive form, the stool has an alkaline reaction and an increased content of detritus;
with steatorrhea - a high content of fatty acids and a lot of neutral fat.

The doctor makes a final diagnosis based on an examination of the child, a survey of the parents (how long ago the digestive disorder began, were there any errors in nutrition, the prevailing symptoms), data from instrumental and laboratory examinations, excluding organic lesions of the gastrointestinal tract.
For older children, a consultation with a pediatric neurologist and psychologist is indicated, since digestive disorders often arise due to problems in the functioning of the nervous system.

Treatment of dyspepsia

If signs of digestive disorders occur, you should not self-medicate, as the symptoms may be caused by an infectious or surgical disease. You need to contact your pediatrician.

The basis of treatment for nutritional disorders is dietary nutrition.
Drug therapy is aimed at eliminating pain and normalizing motor activity of the gastrointestinal tract.

Medicines for the treatment of dyspeptic disorder

Mild forms of the disease are treated at home, children with a toxic form of dyspepsia must be hospitalized.

Medicines used:

Enzymes are used to normalize the digestion process:
- Pancitrate;
- Prolipase;
- Pancreatin powder.
Prokinetics normalize the contractile function of the esophagus and stomach, eliminating belching, nausea, vomiting and other unpleasant symptoms:
- Cisapride;
- Cerucal (not prescribed to children under 2 years of age);
To combat flatulence (increased gas formation) the following is prescribed:
- Infacol;
- Disflatil drops;
Sorbents are necessary for the rapid removal of toxins from the body:
- Polyphepan;
- Filtrum;
Antispasmodics are prescribed for severe pain:
- No-shpa;
- Papaverine;
The complex herbal preparation Iberogast has proven itself well in the treatment of digestive disorders;
After suffering from dyspepsia, the child is prescribed products containing bifidobacteria and lactobacilli:
- Lactobacterin;
- Enterozermina.

Gallery - Drugs for the treatment of illness

Iberogast drops - a herbal preparation for the treatment of functional gastrointestinal disorders Bobotik syrup is used to eliminate symptoms of flatulence Creon capsules are prescribed to improve digestion Motilium - prokinetic to eliminate nausea, vomiting, stomach pain Smecta - sorbent for cleansing the body of toxins Espumisan for children fights bloating
Enterosgel is used to cleanse the intestines of toxins Riabal syrup - a selective antispasmodic to eliminate pain Linex is a combined drug containing 3 types of lactic acid bacteria, prescribed to restore intestinal microflora Bifidumbacterin powder to restore normal intestinal microflora after dyspepsia

For abdominal pain and bloating, you can use a gas tube, a dry warm compress on the stomach, or massage.

Toxic dyspepsia is treated in the hospital. To restore fluid loss, children are prescribed infusion therapy - saline and plasma-substituting solutions: Ringer's, saline solution, 5% glucose solution, Hemodez. Antibacterial drugs and symptomatic drugs are used - antipyretic, cardiovascular, anticonvulsant. In severe cases, the use of corticosteroids is justified.

Caring for a sick child must be careful. Needs to be supported optimal temperature indoors, carry out hygiene measures, maintain a calm psychological environment. You need to carefully monitor the baby’s condition, take into account all changes in his well-being, and examine feces and vomit.

Diet

The foods that caused the disorder should be discontinued immediately. For infants, 1-2 feedings are replaced with a water-tea break, the remaining meals are reduced in volume: at one time the baby should receive no more than 70 ml of mother's milk or an adapted fermented milk formula.
During the water-tea break, the child should receive solutions - Regidron, 5% glucose solution or special children's teas and decoctions - carrot-rice decoction, Semolin (manufactured by HiPP). You can make your own rice water or carrot soup. If a child is vomiting, give 1–2 tsp of liquid. at short intervals (10–15 minutes). The total volume of solutions should be 150 ml per 1 kg of child’s weight. By 5–6 days from the onset of the disease, the amount of food is slowly increased to the previous level. Complementary foods are not given for another two weeks, then gradually only those that the child tolerated well before the illness begin to be introduced.

For older children, at the beginning of treatment, diet No. 1 (gentle nutrition for stomach pain) or No. 4 (nutrition for diarrhea) is indicated. After the symptoms of dyspepsia disappear, the child is transferred to a more complete table No. 5 with the exception of fatty, fried, smoked, and spicy foods.
Diet No. 4 is aimed at reducing chemical and mechanical irritation of the intestines and reducing fermentation processes in it. All dishes are steamed or boiled and given to the child pureed. Diet food contains a sufficient amount of protein and a reduced amount of fat and carbohydrates. Avoid foods that can cause fermentation - milk, legumes, sweet dishes, fresh fruits, vegetables, berries, herbs, as well as those that increase the secretion of digestive juices - savory snacks, spices, sauces, smoked foods.
Meals should be small - often and little by little (5-6 times a day).

Folk remedies

Rice water helps to eliminate the symptoms of dyspepsia. Rice mucus has an enveloping effect, protects the intestinal mucosa and promotes its speedy recovery.
Pour a glass of purified rice cereal with 5 glasses of water, cook over low heat until completely boiled. Strain the finished broth, drink in warm: babies under one year old - 1 teaspoon, older children - 2 tbsp. spoons every 2 hours.

Carrot soup is useful for dyspeptic disorders. Carrot pectins act as a sorbent - they adsorb toxins, gases and products of incomplete breakdown of nutrients. Boil a pound of peeled carrots in a liter of water for 2 hours with the addition of 3 g of salt. Rub the boiled carrots through a sieve, add the resulting puree boiled water up to one liter. Give the baby 1 teaspoon.

A good helper is an infusion of dill seeds. 3 tbsp. spoons of raw materials, pour 0.5 liters of boiling water, leave, squeeze, strain. Give a small child 1 teaspoon, older children - 2 tablespoons 4 times a day before meals.

Chamomile infusion effectively relieves inflammation and spasms. Pour 2 teaspoons of chamomile flowers into a glass of boiling water, leave for 3 hours, strain, and give the child a tablespoon warm.

You can make an infusion of chamomile and mint. Mint effectively eliminates the symptoms of dyspepsia, acting as a prokinetic agent. Take a teaspoon of chamomile flowers and mint herb, pour a glass of boiling water, leave, squeeze, strain, give to the baby before meals.
Mint infusion is prepared without additives. Brew a tablespoon of mint raw material with a glass of boiling water and leave for 30 minutes. Drink warm as tea before meals.

A collection of chamomile, oregano and yarrow is recommended for older children. Raw materials are taken in equal parts, 2 teaspoons are brewed hot water, place in a water bath for 10 minutes, filter, bring the resulting decoction to the original volume (250 ml). Give the child 2 tbsp. spoons 60 minutes after meals or half an hour before meals.

Children over 7 years old can be given a remedy for diarrhea made from pomegranate peel.
Brew a teaspoon of dried pomegranate peels with a glass of boiling water and leave for an hour. The resulting infusion is given to children three times a day, a dessert spoon.

Gallery - folk remedies

Rice water has an enveloping effect and restores the intestinal mucosa Chamomile infusion relieves inflammation and spasms Carrot decoction acts as a sorbent for dyspepsia Mint infusion combats symptoms of dyspepsia A decoction of dill seeds helps with flatulence
A decoction of pomegranate peels helps with diarrhea

It is important to remember that to treat dyspeptic disorder in children only with homemade folk remedies you can't, you need it mandatory consultation pediatrician

Treatment prognosis, complications, consequences

Nutritional dyspepsia most often ends in complete recovery after 3–7 days and does not entail any complications or consequences. In weakened children at risk, a simple disorder can turn into a toxic form, in which case the prognosis of dyspepsia depends on the timeliness and quality of medical care provided.
The outcome of the organic and parenteral form is directly related to the underlying disease that caused the digestive upset.
Timely medical care makes the prognosis of any form of dyspepsia favorable.

The consequence of a functional disorder in a young child may be weight loss and a persistent decrease in appetite. If acute dyspepsia is not treated, then severe diarrhea and vomiting lead to dehydration, which affects the functioning of all internal organs and can lead to irreversible consequences. Chronic dyspepsia, which arises due to constant errors in nutrition, leads to the development of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Prevention of dyspepsia in children

You can prevent indigestion in infants by regulating the diet and volume of food, eliminating errors in the mother’s diet when breastfeeding, timely introduction of complementary foods and feeding with adapted formulas if the child is bottle-fed. The baby should not be overfed or overheated; you need to be in the fresh air with him more often.
For older children, it is very important to follow a diet and avoid the abuse of fast food, carbonated drinks and other harmful foods. It is necessary to regulate the regime of exercise and rest, to minimize stress and psycho-emotional stress.

Video - Doctor Komarovsky about abdominal pain in a child

In order not to have to treat the baby, parents need to take a responsible approach to organizing the process of baby feeding. It is easier to prevent any disease than to eliminate its consequences. Be attentive to your baby’s health and then you won’t have to turn to pediatricians for help.

Various digestive problems can occur in babies at different ages. Such eating disorders in a child really frighten the mother. Many parents find it difficult to know what to do in such cases. Indigestion in children should be treated completely differently than in adults.

What causes?

This functional disorder most often occurs in babies in the first year after birth. The digestive system of a newborn baby is still very sensitive to various new foods. Incorrect treatment can lead to various chronic diseases organs of the gastrointestinal tract.

The reason that leads to indigestion for a baby is often the introduction of new complementary foods into the diet. Children who at birth have congenital defects in the structure of the digestive system or are born prematurely, as a rule, are much more likely to suffer from eating disorders.

When introducing new complementary foods to your baby during the first year of life, try not to combine all foods into one meal. For example, a combination of meat and fruit purees can lead to an upset stomach in a baby. These products should be given at different time feeding.

Babies aged 2 years often experience bowel movements and stomach upset as a result of various viral infections.

Viruses entering the body cause severe intoxication and lead to the development of severe diarrhea.

Most often, at the age of 3, children become infected with rotavirus infection. In this case, they experience severe abdominal pain and multiple loose stools. Rota treatment viral infection carried out symptomatically.

In older children, indigestion is often caused by poor personal hygiene. Pathogenic microbes get on your hands while playing outside or visiting the toilet. If a child forgets to wash his hands well before eating or after visiting the toilet, he can also easily catch the disease.

According to statistics, schoolchildren most often suffer from stomach upsets after eating poorly washed vegetables and fruits. Such products are a real biological bomb for the child’s body.

Insufficient processing of fruits and vegetables contributes to the preservation of pathogenic bacteria, which, if they enter the body in a short time, can cause digestive disorders in children.

Main symptoms of indigestion

Various causes affecting the organs of the gastrointestinal tract lead to the development of a strong inflammatory process and disruption of the proper functioning of the organs. Typically, such a reaction occurs within several hours from the moment the provoking product enters the child’s body.

The onset of the inflammatory process leads to the appearance of characteristic manifestations of the disease:

Pain in the epigastric region and throughout the abdomen. The pain syndrome can change its intensity. Subsequent meals only make the situation worse. The pain is of moderate intensity, nagging in nature. In some cases, colic is observed.

Nausea and vomiting. The child feels sick almost constantly. Relief comes only from the use of medicinal antiemetics and sorbents. Vomiting occurs with the eaten contents and is repeated. After it, the child usually feels some improvement in well-being.

Loose stools. It is usually frequent, with a very unpleasant sour odor. The feces contain numerous, undigested food debris. The larger the stool, the more fluid and electrolytes the child loses. This leads to a deterioration in health and an increase in general weakness.

Bad condition. Usually children become very lethargic. Their appetite decreases or completely disappears. Any touch to the stomach can increase pain syndrome. Children may sob and, if the pain is severe, even cry. With severe symptoms of electrolyte loss, babies constantly want to sleep. Infants refuse breastfeeding.

Temperature increase. Occurs when indigestion occurs due to infection with viruses. With viral infections, body temperature rises to 38-38.5 degrees. The baby may feel constant thirst and lose weight. Fever is often present.

How to treat?

When the first symptoms of stomach upset occur, be sure to show your baby to the pediatrician. A doctor's examination is necessary to rule out dangerous diseases that require immediate surgical intervention - appendicitis may be hidden behind similar symptoms.

If the pediatric doctor did not identify any dangerous surgical diseases during the examination and confirmed the presence of a functional disorder, then symptomatic treatment is prescribed. All medications prescribed to children must be prescribed based on age.

All medications that are prescribed for indigestion can be divided into several groups:

Sorbents. They are used to eliminate toxic metabolic products that are formed during inflammation, as well as to normalize stool. Usually babies are prescribed: "Enterosgel", "Smectu", activated carbon. Apply these medicines should be 2-3 times a day for 5-7 days. Usually on the second day of use a positive effect is observed. Such drugs are well tolerated and cause virtually no side effects.

Antispasmodics. They can be taken for pain. Usually used only as prescribed by the attending physician. Self-prescription and use of such drugs can lead to a pronounced decrease in blood pressure and even worsening the course of the disease.

Symptomatic. Used to eliminate associated symptoms associated with indigestion. These include anti-vomiting agents, as well as drugs that normalize motor skills. Usually prescribed to children over two years of age.

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During an eating disorder, be sure to give your child plenty of fluids.

In severe cases, severe diarrhea requires oral rehydration. For this purpose, water-electrolyte compositions are used.

During the first couple of days of illness, infants should limit the introduced complementary foods. There is no need to stop breastfeeding. The baby must be offered boiled water cooled to room temperature. The baby should be fed on demand. On the first day of illness, the baby may refuse to breastfeed and eat much less. This symptom will go away after your health returns to normal.

During an upset stomach, you can eat well-boiled porridge cooked in water. Dairy products should be postponed until the baby has fully recovered. Fruit or vegetable purees in the first days of illness can aggravate the condition and lead to more frequent stools. On the first day, doctors recommend reducing the total amount of food offered to the child. Do not overload the inflamed gastrointestinal tract with too much food.

Prevention

Preventive measures will help reduce the chance of your baby developing stomach upset. Regular compliance simple rules will help keep the gastrointestinal tract organs healthy.

For prevention purposes, you can use the following tips:

Closely monitor everything your child eats. All products must be fresh.

Infants should not introduce a large number of new foods or mix all possible types of complementary foods at once in one meal.

Watch carefully how a child observes the rules of personal hygiene, especially children under 4-5 years old. Explain to your child and show by example that after each visit to the toilet, upon coming home from the street and after public transport, you must wash your hands with soap.

Include in your diet baby new unfamiliar foods with great caution.

When the first symptoms of digestive disorders occur in children, there is no need to panic!

Any stomach upset can be treated well. The baby, as a rule, recovers and recovers fairly quickly. Preventing stomach disorders helps prevent the development of adverse symptoms in the future.

You will learn more about stomach upset in children from the following video.

Indigestion in a child is a fairly common phenomenon caused by intestinal dysfunction. But if in infants the symptoms of indigestion are repeated again and again, this is a direct signal about the need to take measures aimed at normalizing and restoring the digestive process.

The manifestation of signs of indigestion has its own clinical designation - dyspepsia. At the same time, dyspepsia in newborns and children of a later age can be different, have characteristic manifestations and treatment methods.

With dyspepsia, infants experience severe discomfort in the abdomen and digestive system. Acute indigestion is recurrent in nature.

Approximately 20% of cases of dyspepsia occur in children 7-12 years old. It is noteworthy that the more susceptible category of children are girls.

It is not always possible to determine the root cause of the development of digestive disorders in children. In approximately 40% of all cases of dyspepsia in infants or older children, it disappears on its own over time. But you still shouldn’t rely on chance. Parents need to nip this disease in the bud by providing appropriate treatment and care.

Types of disorders in children

If we take into account the causes of development, the disease is divided into the following types:

Fermentation. With fermentative dyspepsia in children, the main reason is the child’s abuse of drinks based on a process such as fermentation, as well as carbohydrate-containing foods. The highest concentrations of carbohydrates that are dangerous for babies are found in potatoes and flour products.
Rotten. This form is caused by excess protein in the child’s diet, which provokes the development of putrefactive dyspepsia. The products simply do not have time to be completely digested, as a result of which the process of rotting begins inside the body.
Fat. Dyspepsia syndrome in fatty children is caused by the abuse of refractory and difficult to digest fats.

There is also a certain classification that distinguishes three types of illness:

It is an acute digestive disorder in young children. Children who are breastfed are most often affected by the disease. This type of disease is characterized by a disease of the digestive system.
Toxic dyspepsia in children. In the toxic type of disease, symptoms are caused by metabolic disorders. The toxic form is more dangerous because it can quickly spread throughout the body and cause damage to other organs.
Parenteral dyspepsia. It is a disorder of the digestive system that accompanies various infectious diseases. In most cases, the disease manifests itself when the baby suffers from otitis media, pneumonia, measles or flu.
Physiological dyspepsia. Signs of physiological dyspepsia can be observed in children over 1 year of age. Accompanied by discomfort in the abdomen and lining, but no diseases are observed. It is not uncommon for the physiological type of the disease to develop due to stress, poor nutrition, increased acidity of gastric juice, or consumption of foods that are not appropriate for the baby’s age.

Types of functional dyspepsia

It is not uncommon to encounter digestive and nutritional disorders in infants. Like any other disease, functional dyspepsia in children (FD) entails Negative consequences and a threat to the baby's health.

If relapses of functional dyspepsia in young children are repeated again and again, this will become an impetus for the development of gastrointestinal diseases - gastritis, ulcers, etc. Plus, it will be under threat the immune system, the restoration of which will require a lot of effort, patience and time.

To determine how to treat FD, you need to determine the specific type of condition your baby is experiencing. Each of them has certain sign and identification method:

Ulcer-like. This FD is accompanied by pain in the epigastric area after eating food. Symptoms are most pronounced in case of overeating or after taking certain medications. In particular, we are talking about drugs for acid-dependent diseases of the digestive system.
Dyskinetic. The main symptom is rapid saturation. Having eaten just a little food, the baby feels that he is full. This happens almost after the first spoons of food. In the pit of the stomach there is a feeling of satiety and a sour taste. In addition, symptoms are often accompanied by vomiting and nausea.
Non-specific. Difficult to diagnose because it is characterized by manifestation symptoms of two types of functional dyspepsia at once.

Causes of indigestion in children

For functional dyspepsia in children, treatment is prescribed based on what triggered the symptoms of the disease. In most cases, the reason lies in poor nutrition. But this concept can mean many different things.

Therefore, we will introduce you to the main factors that can provoke the development of functional dyspepsia in a child:

sudden transition to another diet;
quick change breast milk for artificial mixtures;
changes in the child's lifestyle;
lack of regular and systematic meals;
frequent skipping breakfast, dinner or lunch;
abuse of fast foods;
regular overeating;
plenty of carbohydrates and proteins in the diet;
frequent snacking;
inclusion of a large amount of dried meat in the daily diet;
stressful situations and strong emotional shocks.

Symptoms

Functional disorders of the digestive system in children entail changes in the gastrointestinal tract. The following happens:

the motor function of the stomach is impaired;
there is a disorder of digestive processes;
organs related to the digestive system weaken;
food in practically undigested form moves from the duodenum to the stomach;
the stomach does not work actively enough to digest food.

Functional dyspepsia, which is common in young children, is largely similar in its symptoms to other gastrointestinal diseases. Therefore, it is extremely difficult to independently diagnose FD.

There are several symptoms that are not characteristic of FD. That is, when they appear, another illness should be suspected. These symptoms include:

frequent diarrhea;
development of anorexia (excessive thinness);
pain at night that interferes with sleep;
insomnia caused by pain;
painful sensations in the joints;
irradiation of painful sensations;
signs of fever;
changes in the baby’s behavior during attacks; he may behave unconventionally or inappropriately.

Faced with the above uncharacteristic signs, we can conclude that there is another disease, not functional dyspepsia. Or FD is accompanied by other diseases, connecting with each other and exhibiting corresponding signs. In any case, you need to contact a specialist who will prescribe treatment and give recommendations.

Acute dyspepsia

Separately, acute dyspepsia should be considered. Not as rarely as we would like, dyspepsia becomes acute. Its appearance is due to the inconsistency of nutrition in its composition and volume when feeding the baby. The body simply does not have the physiological capabilities for the digestive system to cope with the load.

Acute dyspepsia is characterized by certain signs:

regurgitation;
slow growth process;
frequent diarrhea, that is, diarrhea;
stool of uneven consistency;
Sometimes there are mucus impurities in the stool.

For the treatment of dyspepsia in children acute nature it is necessary to make a diet fast. Just skip no more than 2 feedings a day for a while, replacing them with nutritional liquid.

Features of treatment

Can be used to treat digestive disorders in children various methods and funds. But under no circumstances should you purchase medicines or prepare them based on folk recipes without first consulting with specialists.

The first priority is to visit a doctor. He will conduct an examination and diagnosis to confirm the disease and determine the nature of its course. Having received the necessary information, the specialist will be able to prescribe the optimal solution.

The basis of treatment is two points:

Changes in the child's diet. Since the problem is directly related to the digestive system, treatment should begin with adjusting the diet. The disorders are caused by an inactive and unhealthy lifestyle. How smaller child moves, the less he wants to eat. Because of this, harm is caused to the entire body. It is best to treat the disease by breaking your daily meals into several small portions throughout the day. We are talking about the so-called separate nutrition. Also be sure to exclude allergenic foods that can cause allergic reactions after consumption. The ideal scenario is to completely remove fried and fatty foods, soda, smoked foods and sweets from the child’s diet. But this is often difficult to do, so just try to minimize the consumption of these products. It is not uncommon that a simple change in diet can relieve a child of all the symptoms of functional dyspepsia.
Medications. To supplement proper nutrition, doctors prescribe certain medications. This allows you to speed up the healing process. The types of medications depend directly on what type of dyspepsia the child is experiencing. In case of ulcerative form, inhibitors or histamine blockers are usually prescribed. In the case of treatment of a dyskinetic type of illness, prokinetics are used. If you are faced with nonspecific dyspepsia, then you will not need medications. Drug treatment This form of indigestion is not treatable.

Folk remedies against FD

Since we are talking about a child’s weak body, many doctors are inclined towards the safest, most natural and effective means. These include folk recipes. But under no circumstances ethnoscience should not be used without prior consultation with a physician.

There are several ways by traditional treatment relieve your child from the symptoms of dyspepsia:

Blackberry. You need approximately 10 grams. the roots of this berry bush, which are filled with 500 ml of water and placed on fire. Boil the root until 2/3 of the water remains in the container. Strain and add high-quality red wine to the mixture in proportions of 1 to 1. Once every 4 hours you need to give the product to the child 2 large spoons.
Fennel. Aka pharmaceutical dill. It costs a penny, but it helps tremendously. Pour 500 ml of boiling water over 10 fruits, put on fire and cook for about 10-15 minutes. Let the mixture cool, then strain. It is important that 200 ml of decoction remains. It should be drunk throughout the day in small portions.
Sagebrush. Although it is bitter, the benefits are amazing. Take a large spoon of wormwood and fill it with 200-250 ml of boiling water. After half an hour, strain. Regarding the dose, be sure to ask your doctor for advice, since each individual case requires a certain portion of the decoction.

Dyspepsia cannot be called a terrible disease. Especially if you consult a doctor in a timely manner and begin comprehensive treatment of the problem. Provide your child with proper nutrition, an active lifestyle and minimize the number of stressful situations. This guarantees him reliable protection against indigestion.

Dyspepsia in children occurs quite often due to the immaturity of the digestive tract. There are probably no parents who would not have similar situation: Until recently, a cheerful baby cries, complains of tummy pain and regurgitates food. These are dyspeptic disorders that are caused by digestive disorders. They can occur for various reasons, but they have similar symptoms and are equally dangerous if they are not treated in a timely manner.

Why is digestion disrupted in childhood? There are several pathological provoking factors.

Depending on the cause, dyspepsia in a child may be:

nutritional;
fermentation;
putrid;
fatty;
toxic;
parenteral.

Nutritional

Infants are more often susceptible to this disease, and dyspeptic syndrome can be caused by:

Violation of the nutrition schedule. Feeding newborns too frequently leads to the fact that the stomach cannot cope with digestion and excess food gets rid of through regurgitation or vomiting. Less commonly, excess food is removed with loose stool.
Changing formula milk. This happens in infants on artificial or mixed feeding. Changing formula may cause indigestion and dyspepsia.
Changes in the composition of milk. Violation of the diet by a nursing mother or taking certain medicines may affect the composition of breast milk and cause digestive problems in the baby.
Feeding inappropriate for age. The use of formula milk for older children, untimely or too abundant introduction of complementary foods is also the reason why dyspepsia develops in young children.

In older children, nutritional dyspeptic syndrome can be caused by a sudden change in diet or consumption of low-quality products.

Fermentation

This type occurs in children with a sweet tooth. An excess of carbohydrate-containing foods in the menu leads to increased proliferation of fermentative bacteria in the large intestine. The main manifestation of the disease is diarrhea with a specific odor, which is difficult to treat with the help of basic fixative drugs.

Putrid

The main cause is a violation of enzymatic activity in the intestines and stomach or an excess of protein foods in the diet. In this case, the food masses are not fully digested and putrefactive bacteria begin to intensively develop in them. The feces are liquid, with a specific putrefactive odor.

Toxic

May occur with intestinal infections or accompany other acute infectious diseases. Pediatricians note that if timely treatment of acute respiratory viral infections, influenza or other respiratory diseases has not been undertaken, the child develops intestinal syndrome when general intoxication of the body develops.

Fat

Excess fatty foods also have a depressing effect on the functioning of the digestive system and cause stagnation of food masses in the gastrointestinal tract. This form of the disease is more prone to constipation, but diarrhea is also possible.

Parenteral

The syndrome occurs as a complication after infections, when the balance of food microflora is disturbed while taking medications.

Whatever the cause of dyspepsia, such a condition can be dangerous for the child, so consulting a doctor is mandatory.

Main manifestations of dyspeptic syndrome

The disease always manifests itself in an acute form.

It is noted:

lethargy;
refusal to eat or severe loss of appetite;
change in bowel habits (diarrhea or constipation);
the appearance of intestinal colic;
bloating;
belching or regurgitation;
vomit.

These symptoms occur regardless of the form of the disease.

Constipation provokes stagnation of feces, and the main symptom will be an increase in intoxication. Children become lethargic, capricious, refuse to eat, and the temperature may rise.
During diarrhea, fluid loss and dehydration occur. Gradually, the skin loses its elasticity and becomes dry. If dehydration therapy is not carried out in a timely manner, then, due to fluid loss, babies experience convulsions and a decrease in reflexes is noted.

These conditions are always dangerous and require consultation with a pediatrician or pediatric infectious disease specialist. It is strictly contraindicated to independently eliminate the symptoms of dyspepsia in children using fixatives purchased at the pharmacy. Self-medication can lead to the fact that dyspeptic symptoms do not disappear completely, and the disease becomes chronic.

Self-treatment of dyspeptic disorders in children is prohibited: having identified the first sign of a gastrointestinal disorder, you should immediately seek medical help.

But for the prescribed treatment to be as effective as possible, the baby needs careful care.

In addition to taking prescribed medications, a speedy recovery will be facilitated by:

Dieting. Children's digestive tract develops gradually, and only age-appropriate foods should be included in the menu. Treatment of nutritional dyspepsia in mild cases is carried out only by nutritional correction.
Replenishing lost fluid during vomiting and diarrhea. To do this, it is better to take pharmaceutical saline solutions, but you can also use lightly salted water. You need to drink fractionally, a teaspoon or a tablespoon every 10 minutes. This will help replace lost fluid and prevent vomiting.
Frequent loose stools irritate the delicate skin on the buttocks and perineum. To avoid irritation, it is recommended to wash your baby with warm water without soap after each visit to the toilet or when changing clothes. In case of heavy contamination, the use of children's bathing gels is allowed, but soap is contraindicated; it will cause drying of the skin and flaking.
Control of stool during treatment. If possible, during therapy children are allowed to use only the potty - this will help to promptly detect mucus, blood or particles of undigested food in the stool. Timely detection of abnormalities that have arisen helps not only to detect the developed pathology, but also to carry out timely correction of the therapy.

In childhood, dyspeptic disorders appear both due to poor diet and due to serious illnesses. Timely detection and treatment of the disease contributes to a complete cure, and the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract is normalized.

– functional or organic eating disorder and digestive disorder. Dyspepsia in children is manifested by a characteristic symptom complex: discomfort or pain in the epigastrium, a feeling of fullness in the stomach after eating, early satiety, nausea, vomiting, belching, heartburn, constipation or diarrhea. Diagnosis of dyspepsia in children is aimed at identifying the cause of digestive disorders and may include ultrasound of the abdominal organs, endoscopy, examination of blood biochemistry, stool for scatology, helminth eggs, labia, etc. Etiotropic treatment of dyspepsia in children is carried out on the basis of laboratory and instrumental data .

General information

Dyspepsia in children is a symptom complex of digestive disorders that develops as a result of disruption of the upper gastrointestinal tract. In pediatrics, dyspepsia syndrome occurs in 13-40% of children and adolescents, which indicates its high prevalence. The frequency of dyspepsia in children is explained by the anatomical and physiological characteristics of the gastrointestinal tract, nervous system, and metabolic state in childhood. Dyspepsia in children is a polyetiological and heterogeneous syndrome that can accompany a wide range of pathological conditions. Issues of studying dyspepsia syndrome in children go beyond the scope of pediatric gastroenterology and require the participation of various pediatric specialists.

Causes

The basis of the syndrome of functional dyspepsia in children is a violation of the neurohumoral regulation of the motor function of the upper gastrointestinal tract and visceral hypersensitivity. In this case, a disorder of the regulatory system can occur at any level: central (at the level of the central nervous system), peripheral (at the level of pathways), local (at the level of the receptor apparatus of the stomach and intestines, enteroendocrine cells, etc.) and entails dyskinesia of subordinates organs.

Simple dyspepsia in most cases is associated with nutritional factors - errors in feeding the child: overfeeding, monotonous nutrition, violation of the diet of the nursing mother, rapid transfer to artificial feeding, introduction of complementary foods. A feature of the digestion of young children is the adaptability of the gastrointestinal tract to food of a certain composition and quantity, so a sharp change in the nature of nutrition can lead to dyspepsia. One of the factors of dyspepsia in young children is overheating, leading to an increase in electrolyte losses through sweat and a decrease in the acidity of gastric juice.

In older children, simple dyspepsia can develop due to the abuse of fast food, soda, non-compliance with diet, increased study loads, and stressful situations.

Toxic dyspepsia or intestinal toxicosis in children can be the outcome of simple dyspepsia. An uncorrected diet and lack of treatment contribute to the absorption of toxic products of bacterial metabolism, general intoxication, and disruption of the liver, cardiovascular and nervous systems. In addition, toxic dyspepsia in children can develop against the background of acute intestinal infections: salmonellosis, dysentery, etc.

The development of parenteral dyspepsia in children is associated with the general impact of microbial or viral infection on the body. Digestive disorders are secondary in nature and are caused by the presence of other diseases in the child.

Dyspepsia syndrome in children is a preliminary diagnosis that requires clarification of the etiology. In this regard, an in-depth examination of the child may reveal organic or functional dyspepsia. Organic dyspepsia may be caused by gastritis, peptic ulcer stomach, cholecystitis, pancreatitis, biliary dyskinesia in children. Functional dyspepsia in children includes those cases when a thorough gastroenterological examination does not reveal organic pathology. However, with a long course and inadequate treatment of functional disorders, the development of organic pathology (GERD, gastritis, colitis, etc.) is possible.

Functional dyspepsia in children can occur in several forms. Simple functional dyspepsia is characterized by isolated dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract. With toxic dyspepsia, in addition to digestive disorders, severe toxicosis and exicosis are observed. Parenteral dyspepsia in children can occur against the background of some other disease - otitis media, pneumonia, influenza, etc.

In addition, depending on clinical manifestations functional dyspepsia in children is divided into 4 variants:

ulcerative– characterized by localized pain in the epigastrium that goes away after eating, antacid or antisecretory drugs
reflux-like– occurs with belching, heartburn, nausea, vomiting, bloating, regurgitation
dyskinetic– characterized by uncomfortable sensations in the epigastrium, aggravated after eating, flatulence, intolerance to certain types of food (fatty, dairy, etc.)
nonspecific– not related to the above options for the course of dyspepsia in children.

In the structure of dyspepsia syndrome in children, the organic form makes up no more than 5-10%, so in the future we will mainly talk about functional version dyspepsia.

Symptoms of dyspepsia in children

Simple dyspepsia is more common in children in the first years of life. It can develop acutely or against the background of precursors: anxiety, loss of appetite, regurgitation, increased bowel movements. After 3-4 days, the frequency of stool reaches 5-7 times a day, it becomes liquid, heterogeneous in color, resembling the appearance of a chopped egg with lumps of white, yellow and greenish color, mixed with mucus. With dyspepsia, children experience bloating, frequent passing of gas, regurgitation, and vomiting. The child is bothered by intestinal colic: before defecation, he twists his legs and cries. Appetite decreases to the point of refusing to eat, which leads to a halt in body weight gain (flattening of the weight gain curve). Simple dyspepsia in children lasts 2-7 days. Against the background of dyspepsia, children may develop thrush, stomatitis, and diaper rash.

In weakened children, simple dyspepsia can transform into a toxic form. In this case, fever, uncontrollable vomiting, and frequent (up to 15-20 times a day) stools appear, which quickly become watery with lumps of desquamated epithelium. Significant loss of fluid during vomiting and diarrhea is accompanied by dehydration, decreased tissue turgor, retraction of the large fontanelle, and a sharp decrease in body weight. The child's face takes on mask-like features with his gaze directed at one point; the skin and mucous membranes become dry; reflexes are reduced and convulsions may occur. Toxic dyspepsia in children can lead to impaired consciousness, development of coma and death of the child.

Functional dyspepsia in older children occurs with periodic abdominal pain (usually soon after eating), rapid satiety, nausea, sensations of stomach fullness, belching, heartburn, alternating constipation or diarrhea. Digestive disorders with dyspepsia in children are often aggravated due to stressful situations, combined with dizziness and sweating.

Physiological dyspepsia of newborns is a transient phenomenon and will be discussed in the article “Borderline conditions of newborns”.

Diagnostics

An examination of children with dyspepsia by a pediatrician or pediatric gastroenterologist should include the collection of anamnesis and complaints, a clinical examination, and comprehensive laboratory and instrumental diagnostics.

First of all, in the presence of dyspepsia syndrome in children, it is necessary to differentiate the organic or functional nature of the digestive disorder. For this purpose, the child undergoes an ultrasound of the abdominal organs (liver, gall bladder, pancreas), esophagogastroduodenoscopy, and radiography of the stomach. Laboratory tests include stool testing for H. Pylori, biochemical liver tests, and determination of pancreatic enzymes in the blood and urine. With the help of bacteriological culture of stool, OCI is excluded, and by examining stool for helminth eggs, helminthic infestation is excluded.

A study of the coprogram for dyspepsia in children reveals single leukocytes, a little mucus in large quantities neutral fats and free fatty acids. Electrogastrography is performed to assess upper gastrointestinal motility; In order to study the environment, intraesophageal or intragastric pH-metry may be required,

To improve digestion for dyspepsia in children, enzymes (pancreatin) are prescribed; for removing toxins - sorbents; to relieve pain - antispasmodics. Since 75% of cases of dyspepsia syndrome in children are based on impaired gastric motility, it is advisable to prescribe prokinetics. In case of increased gas formation, a gas outlet tube is inserted and dry heat is applied to the abdomen. To restore the intestinal flora after dyspepsia, children can be given drugs with live cultures of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli.

Moderate and severe forms of dyspepsia in children must be treated in a hospital setting. Treatment includes parenteral hydration therapy (transfusion of plasma, plasma replacement and saline solutions), symptomatic therapy (administration of anticonvulsants, antipyretics, cardiovascular drugs, etc.). Toxic dyspepsia in children requires the use of antibacterial drugs.

A child suffering from dyspepsia needs careful care: maintaining appropriate temperature regime, calm environment, hygiene. It is necessary to carefully monitor the dynamics of the child’s condition, examine the nature of vomit and bowel movements, and prevent aspiration of vomit into the respiratory tract.

Prognosis and prevention

Simple dyspepsia usually ends in the recovery of children in a few days and does not entail complications. In children with an unfavorable premorbid background, simple dyspepsia can turn into toxic dyspepsia - in this case, the outcome is determined by the timing and completeness of providing the necessary medical care. The prognosis of organic and parenteral functional dyspepsia in children largely depends on the course of the underlying disease.

Prevention of dyspepsia in children comes down to compliance with the age-specific diet, timing and sequence of introduction of complementary foods, feeding hygiene, timely and adequate treatment of infectious and general somatic childhood diseases.