Giardia in children: what medications to take and how to treat according to Komarovsky? How to treat giardiasis in children. Symptoms, diagnostic measures and principles of therapy

The small intestines and liver are primarily affected by the insidious Giardia. Problems arise with the absorption of nutrients. The consequences of helminth activity affect the quality of blood, causing a “poisonous blow” to the donor.

What is Giardia?

vegetative;
spore

➡ Vegetative form

In the vegetative, active form, lamblia is similar to a pear, less than 0.02 mm in size. “Equipped” with four pairs of flagella, with the help of which it moves in the donor’s body. On the thickened part of the “pear” there is a suction disk - thanks to it, the protozoan attaches to the intestinal walls. Giardia feeds on a solution of nutrients formed during the digestion process. “Prefers” carbohydrate foods – sweets and flour products.

In the vegetative phase of their life, Giardia actively reproduces by ordinary division, like amoebas. Their number is increasing at incredible speed.

If an immature Giardia specimen finds itself in less comfortable conditions, it adapts to the environment, turning into a cyst. Helminths leave the body from the large intestine with feces. In capsulated form, they can live for months until they find a new “owner”.

The number of viable cysts is directly dependent on the degree of infection and the food consumed by the child. There are more of them in summer and autumn due to the large amount of fiber in the diet. The longer the baby is infected, the greater the number of capsulated lamblia secreted by him. The main source of infection with giardiasis is a person capable of excreting helminth cysts, his habits and lifestyle. The mechanism of infection is fecal-oral.

There are three main ways of transmitting the disease:

unwashed or poorly washed vegetables, fruits and berries;
undercooked or undercooked meat;
products infested with flies or cockroaches;

⇒ 2. Water. A significant part of the epidemic manifestations of the disease is aquatic in nature. In a humid environment, Giardia cysts live for a very long time - up to several months. A very high incidence of giardiasis occurs when runoff from contaminated soil or runoff containing infected animal excrement is discharged into drinking water intakes. Malfunctions at wastewater treatment plants are also fraught with similar outbreaks. Infection occurs:

through unboiled drinking water;
through vegetables and fruits washed with tap water or water from rivers and lakes;
when swimming in open water contaminated with Giardia cysts.

failure to comply with personal hygiene rules;
unsanitary living conditions;
use of infected household items (linen, dishes, toys);
presence of bad habits (finger sucking, pencil sucking, nail biting);
playing with yard cats and dogs;
infection of an infant from the mother during childbirth or through breast milk.

Important! Giardia cysts do not live in seawater.

Symptoms of giardiasis in children

The clinical picture of giardiasis is often similar to the manifestations of other “sores”. If parents doubt whether their children have Giardia, the symptoms and treatment of the disease should be monitored by a specialist. However, you should know the signs of helminth cyst infection. If you have several symptoms, you need to rush to see a specialist. The main manifestations of giardiasis:

loose stools (foamy, sometimes foul-smelling), turning into diarrhea. Sometimes diarrhea gives way to constipation within a few days;
belching, heartburn, bitterness in the mouth;
nausea and vomiting;
bloating, increased gas formation;
pain in the right hypochondrium and in the navel area;
slight increase in body temperature;
allergic manifestations that externally resemble diathesis or measles. In adolescents, acne may appear or worsen;
poor appetite;
weight loss;
dizziness, headache;
general malaise;
enlarged spleen and liver;
causeless enlargement of lymph nodes;
choking cough;
fatigue, decreased concentration;
irritability;
grinding of teeth, usually in sleep;
changes in skin pigmentation (darkening, pallor, “marbled” nose);
the appearance of a yellowish coating on the tongue;
dry skin (“pimples”, bumps, cracks on the feet);
hair thinning.

A large number of Giardia cysts provokes an acute form of the disease. It usually occurs in the youngest children under three years of age. This is explained by the fact that babies have an underdeveloped immune system. Diagnosing acute giardiasis is not easy. The baby begins to be treated for other diseases, and giardiasis becomes chronic. The clinical picture of the disease must be confirmed by laboratory tests.

Diagnosis of the disease

If giardiasis is not detected in time, unpleasant consequences are possible. In addition, it is easier to treat a disease detected in the early stages. There are several research methods that allow you to diagnose infection of the body with Giardia:

Palpation. The doctor analyzes the pain of a small patient in the intestines, gall bladder, and liver;
Coprogram. A stool examination is performed to detect Giardia cysts. It may show a false negative result - at the “silent” stages, when cysts are not excreted in the feces. Repeated studies are recommended;
Probing. The biliary system is examined. With this method, you can detect not only cysts, but also active forms of Giardia. False negative results are excluded. To carry out probing, the child must be over ten years old;
Biopsy. The epithelium of the small intestine is studied.
Enzyme immunoassay blood test. Antibodies to Giardia appear in the body two weeks after infection. This method even allows you to name the approximate period of development of the disease. Blood from a vein is donated on an empty stomach. It is recommended to use simultaneously with coprogram.

There are modern immunological methods for detecting giardiasis antigens in feces and antibodies in the small intestine, blood serum, and saliva. They are promising, but are still extremely rarely used in domestic medicine. Typically, specialists resort to the simplest method - stool examination.

Important! Diagnosis of the disease may give incorrect results if the patient is taking antibiotics. Medicines can temporarily destroy a significant portion of helminths.

Drug treatment of giardiasis

Doctors of the “old school” recommend immediately starting treatment when Giardia is detected. Experts who adhere to the modern approach advise resorting to massive therapy only after the manifestation of obvious symptoms - vomiting and diarrhea.

Parents should think about this. Perhaps the child is only a carrier of Giardia cysts. And it is still unknown how his body will react to the use of serious medications. Although, according to Russian sanitary rules, a child infected with giardiasis will not be allowed into kindergarten. In any case, it is better to consult with a specialist with a good professional reputation who inspires trust.

Doctors treat giardiasis according to a proven scheme, which includes three stages:

Important! It is advisable to start the diet two weeks before drug therapy.

➡ Restorative. After the elimination of the causative agents of giardiasis, enzymes and agents are prescribed to stabilize the intestinal flora. The intake of sorbents is not canceled, the diet is followed.

It happens that during a secondary diagnosis a few months later, tests again show the presence of helminth cysts in the child. But there is no clear answer to the question of whether this is caused by repeated infection or whether the treatment only temporarily “silenced” giardiasis. In any case, a second cycle of treatment of the disease with other drugs is carried out.

Treatment of giardiasis with folk remedies

At the stage of recovery of the body, traditional medicine gives good results. But “grandmother’s” remedies should only be used to complement the main treatment.

Cucumber tincture. Pour boiling water over 200 g of seed cucumbers and leave. Drink at least half a liter per day;
Bergamot oil. Place a drop of oil on a cube of refined sugar. Consume on an empty stomach for seven days;
Aspen decoction. Grind the bark, leaves, and buds of the tree. Pour a spoonful of the resulting powder into a liter of water. Cook for half an hour. Strain and let cool. Drink 200 g twice a day for half a month;
A decoction of dandelion roots. Grind two tablespoons of roots, add half a liter of water. Boil for 15 minutes. Drain through cheesecloth and let cool. Drink in the morning and before bed on an empty stomach for 10 days. Dosage – a teaspoon of decoction per 10 kilograms of the child’s weight;
Tincture of celandine. Grind a tablespoon of herbs, pour into a thermos, pour 400 g of boiling water. Let it brew for two hours, drain through the filter. Take a tablespoon before meals. After five days of taking the tincture, take a two-day break;
Compresses with grease. Take a towel soaked in hot water and place it on your stomach in the liver area for 10-15 minutes. Wipe the skin dry, put a sheet of paper on this place, and white grease on it. Cover with plastic wrap. Do it at night. In the morning, wash off the grease and lubricate the skin with a rich cream. Carry out the procedure every night for half a month;
Garlic. Grind 300 g of garlic, add vodka, let it brew for 10 days in a dark, well-heated place. Take 10-20 g twice a day after meals. Do not use when treating children under 12 years of age;
Kalina. Eat a handful of viburnum every morning for two weeks. Chew the bones thoroughly;
Sagebrush. Grind. Take a teaspoon with plenty of liquid for 10 days. To eliminate bitterness, add a little honey;
Flax-seed. Grind the seeds and mix in a 10:1 ratio with spicy cloves. Take with food;
Coconut. Open the nut and divide it into pieces. Grind the pulp on a grater for three days and eat it on an empty stomach. After taking the pulp, refrain from eating for about three hours;
Linden. Burn the tree branches. Sift the ashes and mix with honey. Drink before breakfast and dinner for four days. Children under 10 years old - a teaspoon, after 10 - a tablespoon. Drink with warm milk;
Pumpkin seeds. Eat from 50 to 100 g. The dosage depends on the age of the child;
Fennel. Grind and add heated water in a 1:2 ratio. Leave for 24 hours, drain the water. Pour water again into the soaked fruits in a 1:1 ratio and boil. Strain, add drained water. Drink 50-100 g 30 minutes before meals.

It is better to start auxiliary treatment with traditional medicine methods on the recommendation of the attending physician. Perhaps some component of the tincture or decoction is contraindicated for the child. The specialist will also tell you how to choose the right menu for your baby. Basic principles for constructing a child’s diet, taking into account the characteristics of the causative agents of giardiasis:

Preventing the consumption of fast carbohydrates. The causative agents of giardiasis “adore” sweets and baked goods. These products contribute to the avalanche-like proliferation of helminths. You can ask the kindergarten staff to exclude buns and cheesecakes from the child’s menu. It is recommended to limit the consumption of sweet fruits, dried fruits, and fresh bread. It is allowed to give the baby crackers and crackers;
Planning a diet that includes slow carbohydrates. The child must eat porridge cooked in water: oatmeal, rice, wheat, buckwheat, corn;
Inclusion in the diet of foods that can create an acidic environment in the stomach. Before meals, children should consume sour fruit drinks and compotes. Sour fruits and berries are beneficial;
“Delivery” of pectins into the body. They cleanse the body of toxic substances, have a positive effect on peristalsis, and improve metabolism. Contained in fruits (apples) and berries;
Refusal of fatty, spicy, fried foods. It puts maximum stress on the digestive system;
Selective consumption of protein foods. Varieties of meat and fish with minimal fat content are suitable for cooking. Exclude smoked products and all types of sausages;
Inclusion of fermented milk products in the diet. They normalize the intestinal microflora, it is advisable to consume them daily. Milk is prohibited - it creates conditions for fermentation in the intestines;
Organization of frequent meals. The daily diet should be divided into at least six meals. The food is well crushed and pureed;
Creation of a special drinking regime. The child's body should receive a lot of fluid. Water is preferable. Soda and juices are excluded.

Important! When carrying out therapy in children, all family members and pets should be treated for giardiasis.

Prevention of Giardia infection

Cured giardiasis does not give the body immunity to the disease. Re-infection is possible. Moms and dads of children who have gotten rid of helminths and parents who do not want the infection to reach their children must remember:

💡 Giardia penetrates the child’s intestines through dirty hands. It is not enough to wet them with water after a walk, visiting the toilet or playing with a kitten. It is important to lather your hands for at least 10-15 seconds. Parents should make sure that this becomes a habit for the child.

💡 The most contagious object on a walk is the sandbox. Stray animals use it as a toilet. It is necessary to cover the sandbox at night with a thick film stretched over slats. It won't be difficult to make it. It is worth taking care of similar protection in kindergarten, asking teachers to close the sandboxes after walks.

💡 All household members must have their own towel.

💡 Pets, be it a dog, cat or hamster, should undergo regular anthelmintic treatment. Wearing a flea collar won't hurt them either. Do not allow your child to empty or clean animal trays.

💡 It is necessary to monitor whether the child has developed bad habits. Gently, not relentlessly, you need to wean your baby from biting his nails, sucking his fingers, and putting foreign objects in his mouth.

💡 Drinking water should be boiled. Sanitation of tap water is not sufficient to destroy Giardia cysts.

💡 Vegetables, fruits, fresh herbs should be washed under running water. Then they need to be poured with boiling water and dried with a clean napkin.

💡 When relaxing on open reservoirs, pay special attention to the child’s behavior. No one is protected from swallowing water when swimming, so it is better to protect small children from water procedures in a river or lake. Sea water is an exception.

💡 The child’s diet should be complete and balanced. It is preferable to keep foods containing simple carbohydrates (sugar, baked goods, sweet drinks) to a minimum. They should be replaced with products that can cleanse the intestines.

💡 Due attention should be focused on feeding the child outside the home. You should not buy him food from fast food establishments.

💡 More time should be spent on improving the child’s immunity. This will be helped by hardening, classes in sports clubs and sections, and active games in the fresh air. The lack of essential vitamins and microelements should be compensated for with drugs selected taking into account the characteristics of the child’s body.

💡 If two or more symptoms of giardiasis are detected, you need to contact a specialist. It's better to be safe than to start a disease.

Although prevention does not guarantee one hundred percent protection from Giardia, it will certainly reduce the possibility of infection. And following basic precautions will protect you from other, more serious diseases.

Giardia are very small in size, but can harm humans

In the external environment, Giardia cysts demonstrate very high resistance. At a temperature of +18 °C they retain vital activity for more than 40 days. At higher temperatures – a week. In a cold environment, when the temperature is below 0 °C, they die after 3–4 days.

Giardia is most often found in the intestines

There are 3 main ways of contracting giardiasis:

Giardiasis occurs in 2 forms:

Acute - develops in babies, as well as in older children, when the immune system is weakened. The disease is accompanied by pronounced symptoms. With proper treatment, you can get rid of the disease in 5–7 days.

Chronic – at this stage there are no acute symptoms. But constant intoxication of the body provokes a significant deterioration in the general condition of the child.

How dangerous is Giardia for a child?

Giardia causes serious harm to a child's health

In addition to absorbing useful substances, lamblia constantly release toxins during their life. This leads to suppression of the immune system and the development of a large number of chronic diseases. The fragile organism of infants especially suffers.

Symptoms of childhood giardiasis

The insidiousness of giardiasis is that its symptoms are easily confused with signs of other diseases. It is especially difficult to recognize the disease in children, who find it difficult to accurately describe their condition.

The acute and chronic stages of the disease manifest themselves differently. Let us consider the features of the symptoms of the disease in children:

Symptoms of the acute form, which develops with weakened immunity or simultaneous penetration of a large number of giardiasis cysts into the body:

loss of appetite;
sudden weight loss;
nausea and vomiting;
severe diarrhea;
an increase in temperature, often up to 38°, but in some cases up to 39°, it lasts up to 10 days, not accompanied by other cold symptoms;
bloating;
fever;
choking cough;
stomach ache;
pale skin;
allergies - rashes similar to hives appear;
bruxism – grinding teeth during sleep;
weakness and irritability;
excessive moodiness.

Excessive moodiness is a symptom of Giardia infection

Symptoms of the chronic form of the disease:

constant digestive problems - diarrhea alternating with constipation;
dysbacteriosis;
avitaminosis;
weight loss, in advanced cases leading to anorexia;
frequent headaches;
malaise;
irritability and moodiness;
emotional instability;
a yellow coating forms on the tongue;
flatulence;
dermatitis.

If such symptoms appear, the possibility of Giardia infection should be excluded. It is especially important to do this when the baby’s health periodically deteriorates without objective reasons.

Tests for Giardia in a child - how to take them?

The following tests will help determine Giardia:

Blood for Giardia is taken from a vein. The analysis should be done on an empty stomach in the morning, before breakfast. A child of any age can donate blood for testing.

Scatological analysis– detection of cysts in stool. To carry it out, you need to take some of the child’s feces into a sterile jar in the morning. It is advisable to deliver them to the laboratory within 3-4 hours, where specialists will examine the material under a microscope.

The accuracy of the analysis is 60–70%. The reason for this is that even in the presence of Giardia, their cysts do not always end up in the feces. To obtain an objective result, the analysis should be repeated 4-5 times, observing a weekly interval.

Duodenal analysis– involves examining the bile for the presence of cysts. Guarantees high accuracy, but is prescribed only to children over 10 years old. The procedure for collecting bile by probing is not carried out at an earlier age.

How to treat Giardia in children

A well-chosen course of treatment will help you get rid of Giardia. The treatment regimen for giardiasis in children provides for step-by-step therapy, designed for 3 stages:

Enterosorbent Polysorb is well suited for cleansing the body.

Pharmacological drugs, as well as folk recipes, will help cure Giardia. Let's look at the features of taking different medications.

Medicines

Tablets and suspensions intended for the treatment of giardiasis in children:

Nemozol– Available in the form of tablets or suspension. Contains Albendazole. The approximate dose is 10 mg of the drug per 1 kg of body weight for 5–7 days. Side effects may include fever, nausea, and weakness. Contraindications – liver disease, retinal problems, intolerance to components. Price – from 180 rub.
– antimicrobial tablets containing Nifuratel. Prescribed for 7–10 days only for children over 2 years of age. The daily dose should not exceed 0.4 g, it is calculated as follows - 0.15 g of the drug per 1 kg of weight. Take tablets twice a day only after meals. Contraindications: hypersensitivity, neurological disorders, kidney disease. Side effects are rarely diagnosed. Possible nausea, dizziness, weakness. Price – from 860 rub.

Flamin – 30 tablets

Read more about tablets for worming in children.

Folk remedies

To treat children from giardiasis, you can use folk remedies. They are prepared on the basis of natural ingredients, therefore they are more harmless than pharmacological drugs. Let's look at effective recipes:

Horseradish tincture– Cut 2-3 horseradish roots into small pieces and place in a liter jar. Pour cold boiled water over the chopped root and cover tightly with a lid. When the composition has been infused for 3 days at room temperature, it should be strained and mixed with honey in equal proportions. Leave for another 3 days.

Babies up to one year old take 0.5 teaspoon, children under 10 years old - 1 dessert spoon, starting from 11 years old - a tablespoon. Drink 20 minutes before meals three times a day for 10 days. After a week, repeat the course of treatment.

Cucumber tincture– chop 200 g of ripe cucumbers that already have seeds. Place in an enamel container and pour boiling water over it. The product should infuse for 2 hours. It is then strained and stored in the refrigerator. The child should drink 0.5 liters of infusion per day, consuming it throughout the day.
– grind 100 g of peeled seeds in a mortar, add 25 g of honey and water. Give the resulting mixture to the child in the morning on an empty stomach in small portions. He must eat everything in an hour.

To prepare folk recipes, shoots, leaves and bark of aspen, dandelion root, mint, birch buds, celandine, centaury and other plants are also used. Before using a traditional recipe, make sure that your child is not allergic to the ingredients.

Safe treatment always takes place under the supervision of a doctor. Giardiasis is a serious disease, so self-medication is contraindicated.

Diet for giardiasis

The basis of a child’s diet should be porridge, dried fruits, bran, and vegetable oils. Fruits can be given baked. For drinks, you should give preference to sour juices and kefir. During the diet, children should not be given fatty or fried foods, even in small quantities.

Dietary nutrition will speed up the healing process. It should be followed throughout all stages of treatment: from preparatory to restorative.

What does Dr. Komarovsky say?

An interesting point of view on the question of whether giardiasis is so terrible is expressed by Dr. Evgeniy Komarovsky. He rushes to reassure parents and argues that they should first make sure that the disease is present, and then begin treatment, avoiding toxic drugs. His recommendations are presented in more detail in the video.

Disease prevention

To minimize the risk of developing giardiasis in children, parents should monitor compliance with preventive measures:

Compliance with the above rules reduces the risk of Giardia infection by 60%.

Wash vegetables and fruits thoroughly before giving them to your child.

Rice. 1. Giardia under a microscope: vegetative form (photo on the left) and cyst form (photo on the right).

Prevalence of giardiasis among children

It is believed that around the world, about 20% of the population and about 25% of children suffer from giardiasis. In the Russian Federation, about 130 thousand cases of the disease are registered annually, which is 95.0 per 100 thousand. The incidence of giardiasis in children is 3.7 times higher than that in adults and amounts to 350.0 per 100 thousand population. Among all cases of giardiasis, children under 14 years of age account for about 70%. Among them, up to 70% are children 3–4 years old. Boys get sick 2-3 times more often than girls.

Young children are most susceptible to the disease.

Rice. 2. Up to 200 million cases of giardiasis per year are registered in the countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Rice. 3. Giardiasis in Africa, Asia, and South America is the cause of chronic diarrhea, leading to malnutrition, immunosuppression and nervous system disorders.

Epidemiology

In institutions where preschool children live, as well as in families, Giardia is transmitted through the dirty hands of parents, relatives, staff and the children themselves, toys, furniture, carpets, door handles, pots and toiletries. The habit of keeping your fingers in your mouth, biting your nails, pencils and pens contributes to the spread of infection.

Factors for the spread of giardiasis are:

unfiltered water (from open reservoirs and pools),
soil contaminated or fertilized with human feces,
poorly washed greens grown in soil fertilized with human feces,
dishes that are not subject to heat treatment (for example, salads, puddings, etc.).

The incidence of giardiasis in children increases in the warm season - spring, summer and autumn.

Poor sanitary standards and non-compliance with basic hygiene rules contribute to the spread of giardiasis among children and adults.

Rice. 4. The most common outbreaks of giardiasis are waterborne.

Rice. 5. Water from open reservoirs and swimming pools is a factor in the transmission of infection in children.

Rice. 6. The habit of keeping your fingers in your mouth, biting your nails, pencils and pens contributes to the spread of infection.

Giardia - the causative agent of giardiasis

Rice. 7. Giardia are pear-shaped, 4 pairs of flagella, 2 nuclei. The axial rod divides the cell into two parts.

Rice. 8. With the help of a suction disk, lamblia attaches to the epithelial cells of the villi of the small intestine.

Rice. 9. Giardia moves with the help of 4 pairs of flagella.

Rice. 10. Giardia cysts are round in shape, have 2 nuclei (immature forms) and 4 nuclei (mature forms), a thick outer shell, as if peeled off from the cell. Sufficiently stable in the external environment.

Giardia life cycle

How does giardiasis develop in a child?

Giardiasis in children manifests itself in the form of dyspepsia, pain, astheno-neurotic reactions and allergies. In 50% of cases, giardiasis manifests itself simultaneously with dyspeptic, pain and astheno-neurotic syndromes.

Pain (in 81% of cases) and dyspepsia (in 77% of cases) are the leaders in the clinical picture of the disease. In 64% of cases, asthenoneurotic syndrome develops, in 32% - allergies.

Giardiasis in children can be secretive, asymptomatic, or have a manifest course. The disease manifests itself in the intestinal form, but extraintestinal forms of the disease are sometimes recorded.

Sometimes giardiasis in children occurs in an acute form according to the type. Vomiting, diarrhea and elevated body temperature are the main symptoms of this form of giardiasis. There is dehydration and rapid weight loss.

Giardiasis occurs in stages, has an incubation period, a period of manifest manifestations, a period of chronicity and convalescence (recovery). Intestinal manifestations have a wave-like course, and symptoms of intoxication and allergic manifestations are constantly increasing.

Children and adults remain at high risk of re-infection.

Rice. 13. Giardia (photo taken using a scanning microscope).

Intestinal damage

Symptoms of giardiasis in children at different ages manifest themselves differently:

In children 2–3 years old, dyspeptic and allergy symptoms come to the fore. Asthenoneurotic syndrome is recorded extremely rarely.
In children aged 4 to 7 years, dyspeptic disorders also come to the fore; pain syndrome is registered in 70% of cases; reactive pancreatitis is registered in half of children of this age; in 38% of cases, pathology of the gastroduodenal zone develops.
In children 8–12 years old, the above-described symptoms are accompanied by biliary dyskinesia. Reactive pancreatitis is most often recorded (70%). The dominant pathology is the gastroduodenal zone.
In children aged 13 - 15 years, pain syndrome occupies the leading place against the background of dyspeptic disorders.

Symptoms of giardiasis in children under one year of age

With giardiasis, children under one year of age experience bloating and difficulty passing gas. Fecal matter has a foamy character and a sour odor. The stool contains copious mucus and “white lumps” of bile salts. As a result of constant irritation by liquid, acidic stool, swelling and redness appear around the anus. The child screams, worries, twitches his legs. Then there is an alternation of constipation and diarrhea. The feces have a fetid odor, splashing and foamy. Putrefactive microflora in feces indicates the development of dysbacteriosis. Despite diarrhea, children often develop normally and gain weight.

Disorders in the functioning of other digestive organs

With giardiasis intoxication, the liver enlarges. Its edge protrudes from under the costal arch from 2 to 4 cm, elastic and painless. By the end of 5 - 7 days, the size of the liver is normalized.
Biliary dyskinesia (insufficient or excessive supply of bile) with giardiasis is of a reflex nature.
With the development of inflammation in the duodenum, the pressure in the main pancreatic duct increases. Increased activity of proteolytic enzymes leads to inflammation of the organ.
Stomach upsets are functional in nature.

Rice. 14. Giardia under a microscope.

Intoxication syndrome

Rice. 15. Intoxication is a characteristic sign of an infectious disease.

Astheno-neurotic syndrome

In 50% of cases in children with giardiasis, three main clinical syndromes are simultaneously determined: dyspeptic, pain and asthenoneurotic.

Rice. 16. Headaches and tearfulness are symptoms of astheno-neurotic syndrome.

Rice. 17. The “marble” pattern of the skin indicates the reaction of the autonomic nervous system to the development of the infectious process.

Allergy

Allergic reactions in children appear regardless of the severity and severity of the infectious process. This is confirmed by an increase in the level of immunoglobulins IgE and IgM, as well as eosinophils in the patient’s blood. Skin lesions in the form of atopic dermatitis are most often recorded with giardiasis (70% of cases), less often with enterobiasis (16% of cases) and ascariasis (3% of cases). In children under one year of age, allergic manifestations are very diverse - from an itchy rash to eczematous lesions.

Rice. 18. Atopic dermatitis can be a manifestation of giardiasis in children.

Skin lesions

In chronic forms of giardiasis in children and adults, the skin is often affected:

It manifests itself as pallor of the skin, especially the face, with normal hemoglobin levels, which is probably due to spasm of blood vessels.
In the first years of the disease, uneven coloration of the skin is noted.
In children and adolescents, the red border of the lips is affected to varying degrees of severity. There is peeling and dryness, in severe cases - cheilitis (inflammation of the mucous membrane and red border). With cheilitis, cracks, jams and peeling of the area around the mouth appear.
Hair becomes thinner, its growth slows down, and it takes on different colors.

Rice. 19. Cheilitis often occurs in children and adolescents with giardiasis.

Immunity for giardiasis

During the period of illness, cellular and humoral immunity develops in the patient’s body. Immunity is not strong. It persists after the disease for up to 6 months, in some cases longer. In persons with deficiency of immunoglobulin IgA, the disease becomes persistent.

Diagnosis of giardiasis in children

The absence of pathogonic symptoms significantly complicates the diagnosis of giardiasis. Subject to examination:

children with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, prone to chronicity, moderately severe and frequent exacerbations;
children with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and neurocirculatory dysfunction;
children with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and persistent eosinophilia;
children with gastrointestinal diseases and allergic reactions.

Immunological methods

insufficient study of the pathogenic properties of Giardia;
not all children have antibodies (antibodies are rarely detected in children with lymphatic-hypoplastic diathesis);
antibodies may not be detected in children with ineffective humoral defense mechanisms, in whom giardiasis often takes a protracted course.

The diagnosis of giardiasis is based on the detection of vegetative forms of Giardia in duodenal contents or cysts in liquid or formed feces.
Detection of cystic and precystic forms of Giardia in feces is carried out using microscopy of an unstained (native) smear, microscopy of a stained smear with Lugol's solution, enrichment methods followed by microscopy. Precyst forms are found in liquid, unformed feces.
Difficulties in using microscopic examination:
Outside the body, the cysts “shrink,” their shell becomes uneven and merges with detritus, so the study requires warm feces, which parents cannot always collect from the child at the right time, so preservative solutions are used.

Rice. 23. Damaged villi of the intestinal epithelium in giardiasis (studies of biopsy material).

Infection in children can occur in various forms and with a variety of clinical symptoms, for example, allergic-dermatological, dyspeptic, intoxication, etc. The susceptibility to infection in children is three times higher than in the general population.

The danger of the pathology is that in young patients it can hide under the guise of other diseases, so diagnosing and preventing the development of giardiasis is a rather serious problem.

Therefore, in children affected by Giardia, fungal infections, Helicobacter pylori, are often detected, and the content of lacto- and bifidobacterial organisms drops critically.

Against the background of such changes, a pronounced disease develops, which creates a favorable environment for the further progression of giardiasis in the structures of the intestinal sections.

As a result, multivitamin deficiency and acute micronutrient deficiency are formed.

Against the background of these processes, the intestinal walls are irritated, their nerve endings activate reflex reactions, causing abdominal syndrome. As a result of sensitization, the child often begins to experience allergic reactions, etc.

Photo of a rash in the form of dermatosis in giardiasis in children

Classification

Primary, when there is an acute form of giardiasis. Typically, such lesions are detected in very young children of toddler and kindergarten age;
Secondary or protracted is chronic giardiasis, which usually occurs in school-age children and adults.

Giardiasis can also develop in a child as a concomitant pathology.

Symptoms of acute form of giardiasis in children

The main blow is directed at the small intestinal structures that are involved in digestion and absorption, so the pathology often manifests itself in exhaustion.

The development of giardiasis in a child can be determined by some specific manifestations:

Giardiasis often occurs with a neuropsychiatric syndrome, in which patients complain of headaches and dizziness, memory impairment or nervous tics.

Signs of chronic form

Against the background of giardiasis, there may be stool instability, peeling and noticeable dryness of the skin, allergic pathologies, keratosis or periodic hyperthermic signs to subfebrile levels, as well as symptoms of vegetative-vascular dystonia.

Diagnostics

It is imperative that all children with abnormalities in the gastrointestinal tract, neurotic or autonomic disorders, increased allergenicity, etc. be tested for giardiasis.

To identify giardiasis infestations, a child must have a stool sample tested, and this procedure must be completed three times, since cysts are excreted unevenly, which is why they may not be detected in stool.

Also, to diagnose giardiasis, laboratory tests of duodenal masses, serological tests, diagnostics, etc. are prescribed. Additionally, diagnostic tests such as ultrasound examination of the abdominal organs, blood biochemistry, detection of dysbacteriosis in feces, etc. can be prescribed.

How to cure an infection?

Treatment of giardiasis should be carried out exclusively by an experienced specialist, especially if a child is affected. To do this, you need to contact an infectious disease specialist or gastroenterologist.

The general treatment regimen is based on diagnostic data, laboratory test results, assessment of the baby’s general well-being, etc. The preparatory stage of treatment requires strict adherence to the diet and relief of cholestasis. This stage lasts about 20 days.

Diet

For childhood giardiasis, it requires an approach that necessarily takes into account the allergenic effect. For example, allergic reactions are usually caused by citrus fruits and berries, nuts, etc. Therefore, these products will have to be excluded from the little patient’s diet for the duration of treatment.

The menu should be based on simple dishes of lean meat, vegetables, compotes and low-fat cottage cheese, etc. If there is no rash characteristic of giardiasis, then a small amount of bright red berries, fruits or vegetables such as cherries, tomatoes or beets can be added to the menu.

To exclude the wrong selection of products, you need to contact a pediatrician, who will select the diet the baby needs.

Food should be steamed or boiled. Only strict adherence to the principles of diet therapy guarantees the child a speedy recovery.

Folk remedies

Among the folk methods, the following are especially well known:

Cucumber water. Half a kilo of overripe cucumbers should be poured with a liter of boiling water and left to steep. The resulting drink should be given to the child throughout the day.
Garlic milk. Boil the milk and cool slightly, pour into a glass and add a couple of garlic cloves. The product is suitable for treating children over 6 years of age, who should be given ¼ glass four times a day, about an hour before meals. Take this milk until recovery.
Plantain with honey. Grind plantain leaves and mix with honey 1:1. Give your baby this mixture one teaspoon at a time. three times a day, about half an hour before meals. The medicine is suitable for children over 7 years of age.
Flax-seed. You need to prepare a mixture of 10 parts of flaxseeds and 1 part of cloves, add water to it and cook for half an hour. Divide the child's weight by 3. The final result will be the dose of decoction for the baby. Give drinks no more than three times a day, the course is one and a half to two weeks.

There are many more folk recipes for the treatment of giardiasis in children, however, they cannot be practiced at will in order to eliminate the possibility of developing unforeseen complications. Therefore, it is necessary to first discuss the details of such treatment with a specialist.

Drugs

It is the second phase of therapy for giardiasis. Typically, the duration of taking medications does not exceed a weekly course, although in some cases the doctor may extend the treatment.

The drug Macmiror is often used for the treatment of giardiasis, and the number of possible adverse reactions from it is minimal, and the spectrum of antimicrobial action, on the contrary, is quite wide.

Per kilogram of weight take 15 mg of the drug. Parents of young patients who were prescribed this drug were very satisfied with the therapeutic result.

Svetlana:

My son was diagnosed with giardiasis, the doctor prescribed McMiror. I was very afraid for the child, I thought it was safer to treat with folk remedies, but my husband convinced me otherwise. We took a course of the drug, I was pleasantly surprised that it had a gentle effect, I didn’t notice any side effects. Therefore, I had no reason to worry, it is safe for children.

Nemozol

A fairly popular anthelmintic drug is Nemozol. It is capable of destroying not only adult Giardia, but also their larvae, which often makes this remedy a priority in the treatment of Giardiasis.

But it cannot be used to treat children with liver pathologies and retinal diseases. The drug should only be taken at the same time as food. The dosage is 10 mg per kilogram.

Elena:

When my daughter was diagnosed with Giardia when registering for school, I was simply shocked. I myself am literally obsessed with hygiene and taught my daughter to this from the cradle, but giardiasis was diagnosed. Nemozol was prescribed for his treatment. I didn’t think before that it was prescribed for small children, but you can’t argue with the doctor. After the first dose, there was no reaction to the drug, but after the next dose of the drug, my daughter began to feel nauseous and vomited several times. This happened a couple more times, but then all the side effects disappeared, the body adapted to the medicine and we successfully completed the entire course. Control tests did not detect Giardia.

Hofitol

The drug Hofitol is also considered an effective remedy, and the drug is of plant origin, and its basis is artichoke.

The product helps eliminate many toxins, nitrates, etc. The drug is directly indicated in the presence of giardiasis.

For children, syrup forms of the drug are usually used.

Forecast

If the course of treatment is completed completely, then remission according to clinical and laboratory data is achieved in about 95% of young patients. But there are also situations when relapse or reinfection of giardiasis occurs in children.

Therefore, in order to avoid such a reaction, the child is observed by a pediatrician for another six months after treatment. During this time, it is necessary to undergo 2-3 preventive examinations for giardiasis infestations.

Prevention

Preventive measures regarding giardiasis involve timely identification of infected children in children's groups, as well as their timely treatment. Parents should instill personal hygiene skills in their children from an early age.

For drinking, it is better to use pre-boiled water, and fruits or vegetables should be thoroughly washed and doused with boiling water. Anti-epidemic measures in preschool and school institutions are also excellent preventive methods.

Which doctor treats you?

Giardiasis is treated by a pediatric gastroenterologist.

Video broadcast by Dr. Komarovsky about giardiasis in children:

To quickly cure and destroy worms, diagnosis is required at an early stage of the disease. Helminths develop in all types and types and are transmitted through the following sources:

through breast milk;
hands;
public sandboxes and other places;
household and natural items;
unwashed vegetables and fruits.

Often a nursing mother has an infectious agent in her body. In the process of receiving milk, the baby begins to show symptom after symptom, which leads to disruption of the gastric and intestinal tract. Within two weeks, other signs of the disease begin to appear.

Symptoms and features of giardiasis

When stationary, worms live a long time. The cyst is resistant to disinfectants and does not tolerate temperature changes. Infection occurs when a child ingests ten or more cysts. Worm eggs are microscopic and adapt to the environment and negative influences.

The larvae adapt and reproduce quickly, with a life cycle of a year or more. If the larvae find themselves in an unfavorable area of the small or large intestine, they are able to live and carry out vital activities in the body. A child is more often susceptible to giardiasis due to interaction with the surrounding nature and other people. In an infant, the problem occurs after breastfeeding. Therefore, the mother needs to monitor her health and eradicate the disease before breastfeeding.

Symptoms of giardiasis in newborns

Doctors compare giardiasis in infants with the course of another disease characterized by inflammation of internal organs. Without a complete and comprehensive diagnosis, it is difficult to identify the disease; the characteristic symptoms are as follows:

diarrhea, sticks to the potty with a pungent, unpleasant odor;
stomach ache;
nausea;
disruption of gastric and intestinal processes;
temperature increase;
skin allergies;
mild, dry cough;
whims and crying;
grinding teeth at night;
problems with appetite;
sleep disorders;
gases and intoxication.

This disease contributes to the development of others associated with the digestive and biliary process, the following problems arise:

gastritis;
intestinal obstruction;
problems with urine and bile excretion.

Helminths need to be treated. Without this, complications arise.

Treatment and diagnosis of infants

If signs of dysbacteriosis or elevated temperature appear, the newborn is referred to a doctor. He directs you to undergo tests to determine the diagnosis. Diagnosis of the disease involves laboratory tests of the following nature:

stool sampling for determination;
dysbacteriosis analysis;
donating blood using ELISA to detect helminths.

If doctors find Giardia in the baby’s body, they will refer you for additional examinations:

Treatment of helminthiasis is complicated by decreased immunity, refusal to eat, and slow physical development. The main sign of the disease is that the newborn refuses the mother’s breast, leading the body to exhaustion. In the process of the problem, negative consequences arise for the child. Helminths must be killed inside organs to prevent slow development of the body.

When treating a baby, at the first stage, restorative measures are carried out for the proper and stable functioning of the body. An infant will not need to adhere to a specific diet; he will have to consume artificial formula from milk. You can eat porridge and abstain from breast milk. The doctor stops breastfeeding and begins to kill helminths in the body of the mother and baby.

At the second stage, the fight against the causative agent of infectious invasion occurs, using medicines and drugs. Medicines are combined with vitaminizing medicines and traditional medicine, homeopathy.

The third stage is rehabilitation, which involves the competent use of fortifying and preventive medications aimed at restoring immunity and preventing re-infection. Preventive therapy involves and includes every family member.

The use of traditional medicine in the fight against worms

Once a problem is detected in the body, specific treatment and care for the sick patient is required. The pediatrician is the first doctor to refer for examination. An infectious diseases specialist, a gastroenterologist and a pediatrician make conclusions and give prescriptions.

Ripe cucumbers are scalded after washing the vegetables. The decoction is taken all day in one hundred gram portions;
bergamot calms the baby after taking medications, just use a couple of drops on the pillow;
root and aspen infusions;
Celandine is taken in a course of five to six days;
Take dandelion infusion for 10 days; dandelion roots and flowers need to be boiled;
grease compress.

Rehabilitation and disease characteristics

herbal therapy;
rationality in eating;
taking medications to increase the stability of the immune system;
taking protective medications in the form of: pumpkin seeds, zinc, sulfur, etc.;
A course of 14 days involves taking adsorbents.

Symptomatic recovery of organs and tissues occurs slowly. During the rehabilitation period, you are required to take medications from the doctor’s regimen. With prolonged manifestation of helminthiasis symptoms, an untreated disease appears. After re-diagnosis, doctors make a conclusion about re-invasion by giardiasis or about the previous, unsuccessful eradication of giardia from the body. If the previous treatment regimen is ineffective, doctors prescribe other methods.

Giardiasis takes on a chronic form in weakened immunity. The body develops cellular resistance that can keep the baby healthy for six months. After six months, the baby is susceptible to illness. Compliance with preventive measures does not allow the disease to penetrate inside the organs.

Preventive actions and safety measures to protect against giardiasis

Preventing giardiasis involves following the following rules:

hand washing;
nail cutting;
carefully process fruits and vegetables, rinse with boiling water;
give the baby boiled water;
do not swim in bodies of water;
undergo an annual examination for the presence of foreign protozoan cysts in the organs;
training in hygiene and sanitary standards;
processing of domestic animals;
reduce visits to public places and sandboxes;
regular cleaning of the living space where the family lives.