Children's colitis symptoms treatment and diet. Colitis in a child: causes, treatment and prevention

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Colitis in children - This is a disease of the large intestine, characterized by inflammatory-dystrophic disorders in its tissues. Against the background of anatomical features, colitis in children up to a year simultaneously leads to inflammation of both the small and large intestines - enterocolitis. In older children, colitis is localized in isolation, affecting only the walls of the large intestine. What is this condition and what to do if the child has colitis? Pathology proceeds with severe pain, dyspeptic disorders, persistent changes in stool and general malaise. Treatment of colitis in children depends on the pathogenesis of the disease and includes a whole therapeutic complex: symptomatic and antibacterial treatment, diet therapy, herbal medicine and normalization of the intestinal microflora.

Classification

Inflammatory-dystrophic changes in the large intestine can be limited, that is, they are localized within one or more segments, and widespread. In this regard, there are:

  • typhlitis - isolated inflammation of the caecum;
  • typhlocolitis - inflammation of the ascending and caecum;
  • transverse - inflammation of the transverse colon;
  • angulitis - inflammation of the transverse colon and descending intestine;
  • sigmoiditis - inflammation of the sigmoid colon;
  • proctosigmoiditis - inflammation of the sigmoid and rectum;
  • proctitis - inflammation of the rectum.

Depending on the cause of the disease, colitis is:

By the nature of the disease, colitis can be progressive, recurrent and latent. According to the severity of the disease, mild, moderate and severe colitis can be distinguished. According to the clinical condition, the disease is acute and chronic.

Cause of colitis in children

Colitis in children occurs for the following reasons:

  • bacterial and viral infections: E. coli, salmonella, clostridia, etc.;
  • congenital pathologies of the digestive system;
  • helminthic invasions;
  • heredity;
  • autoimmune diseases;
  • tendency to allergic reactions;
  • food poisoning;
  • gross malnutrition: early introduction of complementary foods, replacement of breast milk and milk formula with whole milk, etc .;
  • frequently repeated antibiotic therapy;
  • unfavorable state of ecology;
  • stress factors.

Symptoms

Symptoms of colitis in children in acute form are manifested in the form of nausea, weakness and elevated temperature body. The child complains of abdominal pain. Bowel emptying occurs up to 15 times a day. The feces are watery, greenish, with an admixture of blood. Symptoms of colitis in infants can be complicated by rectal prolapse and dehydration. Symptoms of colitis in children in the chronic form can worsen and subside depending on the phase of the disease and recovery. The dominant symptoms of colitis in a child are abdominal pain, stool disorders such as diarrhea and constipation. In some cases, there is a deterioration in the general well-being of the baby, exhaustion of the nervous system, headaches and chronic fatigue. Also, colitis can cause a lack of body weight, anemia and beriberi.

Diagnostics

To find out how to treat colitis in a child, you need to conduct the following laboratory and instrumental studies:

  1. Blood chemistry. The presence of colitis can be suggested by a decrease in hemoglobin and red blood cells in the blood, an increase in ESR.
  2. Analysis of feces for the presence of leukocytes and pathogenic flora (staphylococcus, candida, etc.).
  3. Intestinal endoscopy. Allows you to identify the form of the disease.
  4. X-ray of the intestine. It is carried out to clarify the clinical picture of the disease and the severity of the inflammatory process.

Features of the course of the disease in childhood

The clinical picture and causes of this disease in children are significantly different from adults, so the symptoms and treatment of intestinal colitis in children will be different. Acute intestinal colitis in a child whose symptoms persist for more than two weeks, if not effective treatment progresses to chronic colitis. This condition is dangerous with complications, such as peritonitis, the development of adhesions, chronic diarrhea, and much more. Therefore, the treatment of symptoms of colitis in children should begin from the first days of the disease. Acute colitis is most dangerous for children under one year old. Allergic colitis is more common in infants, which develops in response to a certain type of allergen - lactose, a drug, a separate strain of bacteria, etc. It is important to identify the allergen and eliminate it in full. Otherwise, colitis in infants often leads to dehydration against the background of repeated vomiting and diarrhea, followed by the development of seizures and even death of the child.

Treatment of symptoms of colitis in children is aimed at destroying the pathogenic flora of the intestine and restoring its work. Drug treatment of symptoms of colitis in a child is carried out using the following drugs:

  • antibiotics - Enteroseptol, Erythromycin, Mexaform: course of treatment 7-10 days;
  • enzyme agents - Mezim, Pancreatin, Panzinorm: a course of treatment from 2 to 4 weeks;
  • analgesics and anticholinergics - Atropine, Novocain, Platifillin;
  • probiotics - Bifidumbacterin, Colibacterin;
  • astringent and enveloping preparations, adsorbents - bismuth, starch, chamomile;
  • antiallergic drugs - Suprastin, Fenistil;
  • vitamins A, B, PP.

Physiotherapeutic treatment of symptoms of colitis in children is prescribed during the period of remission. This may be treatment with paraffin, ozocerite and diathermy. In case of exacerbation of the symptoms of intestinal colitis in a child, the doctor may advise dry heat on the epigastric zone. Surgical treatment is carried out in extreme cases. The essence of the operation: subtotal removal of the affected part of the colon, followed by the formation of the junction of the ileum and rectum.

Rehabilitation after treatment

For the period of remission, the following therapeutic and preventive measures are indicated:

  1. Breathing exercises, physiotherapy exercises, massage of the abdomen.
  2. Spa treatment.
  3. Appointment of prophylactic courses of probiotics and enzymes.
  4. Exemption from physical education and exams.

Under the condition of timely and successful treatment of the symptoms of colitis in children, as well as after a full rehabilitation, the acute form of the disease ends in recovery. In the chronic form of colitis, strict adherence to the regimen recommended by the doctor guarantees a long-term remission. If, after treatment of colitis, the child has a stable remission, after 2 years he is removed from the dispensary registration of a gastroenterologist.

Complications

Untreated colitis can cause life-threatening internal bleeding. It can also lead to perforation of the intestinal wall with the subsequent development of peritonitis, appendicitis, intestinal obstruction against the background of adhesions in inflamed tissues, etc. That is why the symptoms of colitis in a child cannot be ignored, at the first signs of the disease, you should consult a doctor.

Prevention

Prevention of colitis in a child is primarily aimed at normalizing the diet from the first days of life. It is dietary errors that most often cause this disease. Secondly, it is necessary to prevent any ways of contracting intestinal infections. It is important to pay attention to the observance of the rules of personal hygiene, as well as the selection and processing of food products. Thirdly, an equally important role in the prevention of colitis in infants and older children has preventive vaccination. If, despite the efforts made, it was not possible to avoid the disease, then after the treatment of colitis in children, secondary prevention should be carried out, the purpose of which is to prevent the recurrence of the pathology.

Symptoms of intestinal colitis in a child require not only drug treatment, but also the appointment of diet therapy. The therapeutic diet for this disease excludes all types of food that can chemically or mechanically injure and irritate the inflamed intestinal mucosa. All food is consumed in pure form, at least 5 times a day. Diet in the treatment of symptoms of colitis in children does not recommend the use of milk and dairy products, legumes and cabbage. Meat, steamed fish and "yesterday's" wheat bread are allowed. During the period of remission, the diet expands, but in the future, chilled meals, sour-milk products, sour foods should be excluded, and salt intake should be limited. It is important to remember that any form of colitis is dangerous for the development of a chronic process with subsequent inflammation of the abdominal cavity and perforation of the intestinal wall. All this is fraught with even greater complications, such as exhaustion of the body, anemia, disruptions in the endocrine system. Timely diagnosis and treatment of colitis is very important for a child, since a disease not cured in childhood can cause him suffering and problems with the work of the digestive organs for the rest of his life.

Useful video about intestinal colitis

Gastroenterologists in your city

  • Causes
  • Symptoms
  • Classification
  • Diagnostics
  • Treatment and prevention
  • Complications and prognosis

Colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease in which the epithelial layer of its mucous membrane gradually degenerates. The process of dystrophy is manifested in the thinning and weakening of the mucosa, as well as in the deterioration of its regenerative properties.

Due to the peculiarities of nutrition and development, children of middle and senior school age are more likely to suffer from colitis, but the risk of its occurrence remains in infants and kindergarteners.

Causes

The development of the disease is influenced by a combination of negative, both exogenous (external) and endogenous (internal) factors.

Colitis in children under one year of age most often develops against the background of birth defects development of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract with the addition of frequent viral infections, a tendency to allergies and lactose intolerance. In the case of children on artificial feeding, risk factors also include the wrong selection of milk formula.

Symptoms

It is more difficult to determine inflammation of the intestine, the younger the child. Often, the manifestations of the disease are taken by parents for a temporary problem. This is especially true for infants - in their case, the symptoms are blurred and may resemble a common indigestion due to a mild intestinal infection or a violation of the diet by a nursing mother. This picture misleads not only parents, but also pediatricians.

In children older than one year, it is easier to determine the disease, since the symptoms become more pronounced and it is easier to determine from the behavior of the child at this age what exactly worries him.

Common symptoms for children of all ages include:

  1. Intestinal disorder. Digestive disorders can manifest themselves in different ways and alternate with each other: from watery frequent stools to constipation lasting several days.
  2. Increased gas formation. Due to the violation of the structure of the mucosa, intestinal immunity suffers, which causes an imbalance of microflora. It notes the predominance of pathogenic microorganisms, the result of whose vital activity is an increase in the volume of gases in the intestine. The child's belly becomes swollen, the skin on it is stretched, belching appears, frequent gas discharge.
  3. Nausea and vomiting occur at stages when the child's colitis is at the stage of development - this is how the body signals the onset of the pathological process in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Also, vomiting can be a companion of chronic colitis during periods of exacerbation.
  4. Admixture in the feces - pus, blood, bile, mucus. Sometimes the number of inclusions is so insignificant that it is possible to determine their presence only with the help of a laboratory analysis (coprogram).
  5. Dehydration appears with frequent loose stools. In this case, along with feces, the body leaves a large amount of water. You can determine dehydration by dry, flaky skin, the smell of acetone from the mouth, pallor, lethargy.
  6. Pain in the abdomen below the umbilicus.

Note. The intestinal mucosa is of great functional importance - with its help, the assimilation of useful substances. Therefore, dystrophic changes in this organ are fraught with beriberi, which is manifested by a deterioration in the condition of the skin, hair loss, brittle nails. In children of preschool and school age, the lack of vitamins and nutrients also affects mental activity: they become forgetful, inattentive, restless.

In babies up to a year, frequent regurgitation, anxiety, crying, refusal to eat, pressing the legs to the stomach are added to the symptoms.

Classification

Intestinal colitis has a complex classification. When making an accurate diagnosis, a pediatric gastroenterologist considers such factors as the course of the disease, the causes of its occurrence and development, and the location of the site that has undergone dystrophy. The correct definition of the form of colitis allows you to prescribe effective treatment and quickly save the child from painful manifestations.

Colitis classification:

Acute colitis

In the acute form, the child suffers from severe cutting pain in the abdomen, the body temperature may rise to febrile (38.5-39 ° C). The disease is accompanied by pronounced intestinal symptoms - frequent stools (3-6 times a day), liquid, frothy, it may contain the remains of undigested food, as well as bloody-mucous blotches. Sometimes the clinical picture is complicated by nausea and vomiting.

This condition is typical for early stage, as well as for periods when the chronic form of the disease is aggravated due to the influence of external and internal factors. The cause of the appearance is often infection of the digestive tract with the pathogenic bacterium Helicobacter pylori.

Spastic colitis, a condition in which the intestine spasms more often than other types of the disease, also belongs to acute forms. In this regard, the nature of pain changes - they become paroxysmal. Among the symptoms of the disease is also present "sheep" feces - hard, with pronounced separate segments.

chronic colitis

Even with timely and adequate treatment, the acute form in most cases flows into a chronic one. At the same time, the symptoms become more blurred - the pains become dull, become aching, vomiting and nausea stop. After eating, belching appears, in very young children - regurgitation. There are signs of increased gas formation: a swollen abdomen, a feeling of fullness, periodic discharge of gases.

If the patient systematically undergoes treatment and follows a diet under the supervision of parents, chronic colitis may be asymptomatic, with rare exacerbations or without them at all. In this case, the intestinal mucosa is gradually restored, although complete regeneration is impossible.

Nonspecific ulcerative colitis

The most common form of the disease, the causes of which often remain unclear. Usually, ulcerative colitis in children develops as a result of a combination of genetic predisposition and malnutrition. Often the picture is enhanced by other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract - gastritis, stomach ulcers, duodenitis, problems with the pancreas.

The name of the disease was due to the similarity of its clinical picture with peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum, namely: degeneration of the mucosa, on which in some places the affected areas are converted into ulcers. Sometimes these areas capture a large area of ​​the intestine, but in most cases they are fragmented. Ulcerative colitis can occur in chronic and acute forms.

  • acute form

It is characterized by pronounced manifestations of the disease: severe pain in the left side of the abdomen, an increase in body temperature to a febrile and subfebrile level. During periods of exacerbation, ulcerated areas open and begin to bleed. As a result, a laboratory analysis shows the presence of blood in the feces of a sick child, and his general condition worsens: weakness, apathy appear, appetite worsens, weight loss, joint pains are observed.

  • Chronic form

Unlike acute, it proceeds more gently, since during remission the intestinal mucosa tends to partially recover, ulcerative areas are covered with a new layer of epithelium. The disease can be exacerbated due to inappropriate use of medications, non-compliance with the diet, stressful situations, and overwork. Chronic colitis can be manifested by difficulties in emptying the intestines - constipation, false urge to defecate, sensations of incomplete bowel movements.

The danger of this form of the disease lies in the fact that with the disappearance of severe symptoms, the child's parents may mistakenly think that he has fully recovered, stop dieting and undergo examinations.

Examination of the patient reveals swelling of the affected areas of the intestine, destruction at different depths of the mucosa, in rare cases reaching the submucosal layer. Sometimes the inflammatory process is accompanied by the formation of polyposis growths.

Infectious (allergic) colitis

This type of disease occurs as a complication of acute intestinal infections (most often when the gastrointestinal tract is affected by salmonella, shigella, streptococci), helminthic invasions, and fungi. The disease is characterized by a rapid onset and development, accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea, and sharp pains in the abdomen. Among the reasons provoking this pathology of the mucosa, there is a long-term use of antibacterial drugs, especially in children under 6 years of age.

Features of diagnostics. Accurate diagnosis of infectious colitis is difficult due to the frequent mixed etiology of the disease - chronic diseases of the digestive organs usually join a viral or bacterial infection. To complete the picture, a wide range of laboratory tests, as well as a number of hardware studies.

One of the most severe types of infectious colitis is pseudomembranous colitis (PMC), which is caused by the bacterium Clostridium difficile. As with other pathogenic microorganisms, MVP is characterized by an increase in the number of leukocytes in the blood, diarrhea of ​​varying severity, a state of dehydration, and other manifestations of intoxication.

Diagnostics

On examination great importance has a differential diagnosis of colitis in children, since it is very important to exclude the possibility of more serious diseases, such as diverticulitis and intestinal tuberculosis, neoplasms (polyps, malignant and benign tumors, cysts), Crohn's disease, celiac disease.

To confirm the established chronic colitis in a child, as well as other types of inflammation of the intestinal mucosa, a number of laboratory and hardware examinations are prescribed:

  1. A detailed blood test: leukocytosis is detected, a decrease in hemoglobin and the number of red blood cells in the blood, an increase in ESR and protein levels.
  2. Colonoscopy: at the initial stage of the disease, swelling, sensitivity of the mucosa, an increase in local temperature are detected, at later stages a characteristic picture is found with the presence of erosive and ulcerative lesions that begin to bleed if they are touched by a solid object. There is no vascular pattern on the surface of the epithelial layer.
  3. An analysis of feces for colitis shows the presence of mucus, blood, and sometimes bile in the feces.

If during the examination of the intestine a neoplasm is found in its cavity - single or multiple polyps, cysts - then they are removed, followed by sending the biological material for histology and biopsy. This eliminates the possibility of a malignant origin of neoplasms.

Treatment and prevention

Treatment of colitis in children under three years of age and older is carried out to a large extent by normalizing the diet and diet. To alleviate the condition of the child and reduce the intensity of the manifestation of symptoms, a dairy-free diet enriched with meat, fish dishes, eggs. Artificial children up to a year are transferred to lactose-free hypoallergenic milk formula.

In the case of children on breastfeeding, identification of the etiology of the disease is of great importance, since some cases of allergic colitis require an urgent transfer of the child to artificial nutrition or a strict diet of the nursing mother.

From the diet of older children during periods of exacerbation, it is necessary to exclude all products that impede the process of digestion, corrode the walls of the mucosa, and contribute to an increase in gas formation.

Such products include flour sweets, chips, crackers, salty and spicy crackers, all fast food, sweet carbonated drinks, mayonnaise, ketchup, purchased and homemade pickles and canned food, cocoa, coffee, chocolate. It is necessary to minimize the consumption of legumes, raw fruits and berries (apples, grapes, plums, peaches, bananas, currants, raspberries, etc.), fatty meats, yeast baked goods, corn and rice cereals.

The basis of the menu should be soups based on boiled vegetables and meat, stewed and boiled beef, rabbit, chicken, turkey, cereals (especially oatmeal, buckwheat, pearl barley). From flour products, you can use hard varieties of pasta, rye and slightly dried white bread, buns with bran. Herbal drinks, jelly, black and green teas are useful.

Drug treatment of colitis is reduced to taking oral drugs that improve digestion, protect and restore the intestinal mucosa. Local therapy in the form of therapeutic enemas helps well. Taking painkillers, laxatives or fixatives, antiviral and antibacterial drugs, glucocorticoids, and antipyretics will help relieve symptoms. In the most severe cases that are not amenable to conservative therapy, a resection is performed - removal of a section of the intestine.

Preventive measures include annual medical examination with mandatory drug treatment, maintaining proper nutrition, and moderate physical activity.

Complications and prognosis

Acute colitis in a child can be complicated by such local manifestations as the formation of hemorrhoids, anal fissure, weakening of the sphincter, resulting in gas incontinence and involuntary defecation during exercise, coughing, sneezing.

More severe consequences include intestinal cancer and diverticulitis, intestinal bleeding, inflammation of the gallbladder and pancreas, liver disease, trophic ulcers. Infectious colitis often entails the spread of infection through the digestive tract and the entire body, as a result of which the child may experience complications in the form of stomatitis, tonsillitis, bronchitis, pneumonia.

Colitis is a serious disease, often aggravated, difficult to treat, entailing many complications, requiring systematic examination and treatment. However, with the right approach and the implementation of all the doctor's recommendations, inflammation becomes chronic, which may not appear for several years. In general, the prognosis for life is conditionally favorable, but a complete recovery is impossible.

Colitis can occur in babies of any age. In the neonatal period and in babies of the first years of life, this pathology affects both the large and small intestines due to the structural features of the child's body. The inflammation is dystrophic. The disease in many cases develops against the background of intoxication with viruses and bacteria that enter the child's body from the outside. This is due to non-compliance with the diet and rules of personal hygiene. Pathology can develop with frequent stress. In infants, the disease occurs when switching to "adult" food. In most cases, colitis is formed with uncontrolled use of antibiotics. The genetic factor, unfavorable environmental conditions play an important role in the development of the disease.

In 10% of cases, intestinal colitis begins to develop in childhood.

Description of the disease

Children's colitis is an inflammation of the thick section, accompanied by cutting intense pain with functional disorders of the intestine. More than 10% of colitis cases develop in infancy. Therefore, the main problem of pediatric gastroenterology is the diagnosis and treatment of inflammation of the colon.

Since the digestive system in babies of the first years of life has some structural features, inflammation captures two sections in the intestine. This disease is called enterocolitis. IN adolescence more common isolated lesions of different parts of the intestine, classified as enteritis and colitis. Consequently, the inflammatory process is limited and widespread, that is, covering several areas.

With damage to the distal intestine, proctitis develops, and with inflammation of the rectum and S-shaped intestine, proctosigmonditis develops. The disease happens:

  • acute and chronic;
  • infectious and non-infectious;
  • ulcerative and spastic.

Infectious colitis refers to dysentery disorders. Frequent exacerbations of a protracted form lead to a delay in physical development and psychosocial adaptation.

Causes of colitis in a child

The acute form of the disease develops when the child's body is affected by pathogenic bacteria and viruses, such as salmonella, escherichiosis, retrovirus, shigellosis. Along with colitis, gastritis and gastroenteritis develop. The disease can occur against the background of food intolerance, diet disorders, intoxication with harmful substances.

The disease can be congenital or hereditary. In this case, the cause of inflammation lies in the genetic features. In older children, colitis develops with vegetative-vascular dystonia, due to underdevelopment of the intestine, bad habits, sedentary image life. Often the causes of colitis are hypovitaminosis and endocrine disorders.

Symptoms

The permanent form is characterized by the alternation of the acute phase and remission. With such colitis, the clinical picture manifests itself during the period of exacerbation. During this period, the baby may experience cutting pain in the left abdomen. Against the background of loss of appetite, body weight decreases. The main manifestations of this form: frequent (up to 5 times) stools with mucus and blood.

The rest of the time, intermittent pain may occur during defecation, movement and after eating. The stool often changes - from constipation to diarrhea with different feces in consistency and color. The stool may contain undigested food or foamy mucus.

If the manifestations of chronic colitis are severe and frequent constipation, cracks appear at the sphincter opening, which leads to the appearance of blood in the stool. The child feels fullness and frequent false calls to the toilet. Due to overwork, loss of appetite and insomnia, anemia and hypovitaminosis develop.

Acute colitis occurs in three forms, depending on the degree of manifestation:

  • light;
  • moderate;
  • heavy.

According to the prevalence of symptoms, two types of inflammation are distinguished
- segmental and total. Main features:

  • severe nausea;
  • general weakness and fatigue;
  • pain in the lower abdomen;
  • very frequent diarrhea.

Feces are watery, green in color with bloody impurities. In infants and newborns, rectal prolapse is possible. Against the background of diarrhea, dehydration develops. In this case, the skin loses firmness and elasticity, becoming excessively dry. Facial features are sharpened.

Symptoms of colitis are differentiated from similar manifestations of cystic fibrosis, dyskinesia of the bile ducts, diverticulitis, acute appendicitis.

Diagnostic measures

Several methods will help to diagnose the disease and determine the form of colitis in a child:

  1. Blood biochemistry, in which, with colitis, the hemoglobin index, the number of erythrocytes decreases, the ESR increases.
  2. Coprogram showing the excess of leukocytes, the presence of pathogenic microorganisms. Usually diarrhea manifests itself as a response to intoxication with Candida, Staphyloccus, Proteus.
  3. Endoscopic examination of the intestine, which allows using a probe to examine the entire intestine from the inside. With the development of catarrhal colitis, the intestinal walls will be edematous with a large amount of mucus and bloody patches, which is accompanied by hyperemia.
  4. A biopsy that allows you to exclude the possibility of the formation of a malignant tumor and accurately determine the form of colitis.
  5. X-ray with contrast injected through the anus.

Tactics for stopping the disease

Common treatments for childhood colitis include:

  1. Anti-inflammatory therapy by exposure to high-frequency electromagnetic fields, methods of treatment with electromagnetic waves of the decimeter range, therapeutic mud of various origins.
  2. Anesthetic therapy by prescribing electrophoresis with novocaine.
  3. Appointment of antispasmodics taken during sessions of high-frequency magnetotherapy, electrophoresis, applications with heat carriers, sitz baths.
  4. Specific methods, including endonasal electrophoresis with vitamins of group "B", exposure to the intestines with direct electric current at low voltage (up to 80 V), current irradiation with a frequency of 50-100 Hz, drinking mineral waters, prescribing microclysters, colon hydrotherapy.
  5. Treatment with sedatives, including the effects of current pulses on the brain, electrophoresis with bromine on the cervical-collar zone, coniferous baths.

Recovery of bowel functions after an exacerbation of colitis differs in duration with the use of complex techniques.

Diet therapy is one of the main techniques for stopping the disease. Little patients are assigned a table menu No. 4, in which dairy products are excluded, and dishes are enriched with proteins from fish, meat, and eggs.

At the same time, antibiotics are prescribed: Sulfasalazine, Mexaform, Erythromycin, Enteroseptol. The list of drugs includes analgesics, anticholinergics, ganglion receptor blockers, such as Novocain, Atropine, etc. To maintain normal intestinal microflora, the following are taken:

  • enzymes;
  • antihistamines;
  • probiotics;
  • enveloping, adsorbing and astringent agents;
  • vitamins of group B, PP, A.

Surgical methods of treatment are taken in extreme cases, when the disease is not curable by traditional medicine. Operations are indicated for specific forms of the disease: Crohn's disease, non-specific manifestation of ulcerative and ischemic inflammation of the intestine. During the operation, a large part of the intestine is partially removed. This creates a connection at the ileum and rectum.

Ulcerative colitis is treated by excising the colon and the inside of the rectum, while sparing the muscle tissue of the rectum.

Folk methods of treatment are represented by a number of recipes:

  • a decoction of alder cones, taken orally for 4 months;
  • cleaning with microclysters with chamomile or St. John's wort for 1 month;
  • microclysters at night with sea buckthorn oil in the amount of 60 g - for adolescents, 30 g - in the first years of life;
  • flaxseed tinctures;
  • cleaning with enemas on mummy with a dilution of 0.05-0.1 g of the substance - for adolescents, 0.02 g - from 3 months to 1 year.

Before using any of the above methods, you should consult your doctor.

Forecast

With timely detection with the appointment of the necessary course of procedures, a full-fledged rehabilitation of acute childhood colitis is possible. The permanent form of the disease in this case goes into a long stage of remission.

Modern therapeutic methods show effectiveness in 85% of cases of curing patients with mild and moderate ulcerative colitis, up to complete remission.

Colitis in a child is an intestinal disease, accompanied by inflammatory-dystrophic changes in the organ. In newborns and toddlers under the age of one year, it is diagnosed as enterocolitis, since the inflammatory process simultaneously affects the large and small intestines. In schoolchildren, pathology affects the organ in isolation, which causes its different segments to suffer, and doctors make two diagnoses - colitis and enteritis.

Why do children get colitis?

Disease of the intestinal tract in children develops for various reasons. The most common provoking factors are:

  • stress;
  • intestinal infections;
  • the influence of radiation;
  • heredity;
  • helminthic invasions;
  • violation of the rules of nutrition;
  • autoimmune disorders;
  • aggravated course of allergy;
  • intolerance to certain foods;
  • underdevelopment of the digestive organs;
  • frequent treatment with antibiotics;
  • living in an unfavorable ecological environment.

In infants, colitis is associated with intestinal dysfunction of an unclear nature.

Clinical features of colitis

The pathological process in the large intestine in children is common and limited to one / several segments. Based on these features, colitis is divided into such varieties as:

  1. proctitis (rectum);
  2. typhlitis (lesion of the caecum);
  3. typhlocolitis (blind and ascending parts);
  4. transverse (transverse colonic segment);
  5. sigmoiditis (sigmoid colon);
  6. proctosigmoiditis (straight and sigmoid sections);
  7. pancolitis (generalized inflammation);
  8. angulitis (junction of the transverse colon with the descending colon).

The main clinical forms diagnosed in young patients are acute and chronic current colitis, spastic colitis, ulcerative nonspecific colitis.

How to recognize colitis

Acute colitis caused by infections occurs with all signs of toxicosis:

  • vomit;
  • weakness;
  • sharp weight loss;
  • temperature rise.

Pain from intestinal spasm is given to the iliac region. During bowel movements, prolapse of the rectum is sometimes observed.

Symptoms of pathology are easy to recognize by feces - they come out watery and frothy, have a greenish color, bloody streaks or mucous inclusions. The frequency of the urge to defecate from 4 to 5 times increases to 15 trips to the toilet in one day.

Other symptoms of infectious colitis are dry mucous membranes, reduced skin turgor, and pointed facial features. With a protracted course, colitis is manifested by a disorder of the stool: both constipation or diarrhea, and alternation of deviations. Defecation becomes more frequent up to 7 p. per day. The stools are distinguished by a different nature and consistency:

  • liquid masses;
  • "sheep balls";
  • ribbon-like thick masses;
  • defecation products with mucous inclusions or remnants of undigested food.

In case of constipation, followed by the release of hard feces, the symptoms are supplemented by scarlet blood in the stool, which has expired due to a fissure in the anus. Chronically current colitis causes rumbling in the intestines, bloating and increased gas formation. Of the psychovegetative disorders in babies, headache, weakness, irritability, and sleep problems are observed. On the health of the baby, colitis is reflected in anemia, growth retardation and weight gain, hypovitaminosis. With a spastic form of colitis, the symptoms of the disease will be as follows:

  1. weakness;
  2. abdominal pain and bloating;
  3. temperature rise;
  4. violation of the chair with the release of mucus, blood, foam;
  5. excessive dryness of the skin and drying of the mucous membranes.

Diagnostic measures for colitis

An accurate diagnosis is made on the basis of an external examination of a sick child by a gastroenterologist and the data of the examinations. Valuable information about the state of the intestine in colitis can be obtained from such types of studies as:

  1. sigmoidoscopy;
  2. irrigography;
  3. colonoscopy;
  4. rectoscopy;
  5. endoscopic biopsy;
  6. radiography of the passage of barium;
  7. a blood test showing a decrease in the level of electrolytes and red cells, hypoalbuminemia;
  8. fecal coprology for the detection of leukocytes, amylorrhea, steatorrhea, creatorrhea;
  9. analysis of defecation products for dysbacteriosis and its bacteriological examination.

Prolonged colitis requires differentiation from intestinal dyskinesia, diverticulitis, cystic fibrosis, Crohn's disease, celiac disease, enteritis, latent appendicitis.

How to improve bowel function

Treatment of colitis requires an integrated approach. Babies are transferred to the Pevzner diet (table number 4), the principles of which provide for the complete rejection of dairy foods and the predominance of protein foods in the diet. To strengthen the immunity of newborns, they drink rosehip decoctions. Artificers are fed pureed food, steamed or boiled. Dishes are not salted. Broths for children are not rich, fish and cottage cheese are not fatty. It is useful for older kids to eat berry jelly made from cherries and blueberries (the dessert has astringent properties). Medical treatment consists of several groups of drugs:

  • antihistamines - Suprastin, Fenistil, Diazolin;
  • enzymes - Digestal, Meksaz, Abomin;
  • antibiotics - Sulfasalazine, Mexaform, Erythromycin;
  • probiotics - Bifikol, Intestopan, Bifidumbacterin, Colibacterin;
  • analgesics, ganglioblockers, anticholinergics - Metacin, Novocain, Platifillin;
  • vitamin complexes with substances of groups B, A, PP.

Physiotherapy is indicated for exacerbation of colitis. Dry heat and a heating pad are applied to the epigastric zone of the child. In the stage of remission, the treatment is reinforced with diathermy, paraffin therapy, ozocerite.

Often these activities are enough to adjust intestinal functions. But if the conservative approach did not give lasting results, Dr. Komarovsky suggests that the child be operated on. Its essence lies in the excision of the problematic segment and the fusion of the iliac and direct sections.

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease. From which it follows that ulcerative and chronic are the same form of colitis.

What is the characteristic of chronic colitis in children. Colitis, in general, is an inflammation of the lining of the large intestine. With inflammation, the diseased organ turns red, swells and pain occurs.

With ulcerative colitis, the disease in children, entering the active phase, forms ulcers on the inner walls of the intestine.

In children, symptoms of active ulcerative colitis include diarrhea, blood in the stool, and pain in the iliac region.

However, this disease must be distinguished from another known as Crohn's disease. Symptoms of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease or granulomatous enturitis are similar, however, there are some differences. In Crohn's disease, the focus of inflammation can be located in any segment, starting from the oral cavity and ending with the anus. From the location of the inflammation, the symptoms of the disease also change. However, only a specialist who will prescribe the correct treatment is able to determine what kind of disease this is. Fortunately, Crohn's disease in children is extremely rare.

Causes of the disease

Despite the fact that ulcerative colitis is the object of numerous scientific studies, its causes have not yet been established. However, a hereditary mode of transmission of ulcerative colitis has been established. A child whose parents or siblings suffer from it has a high risk of getting sick too. The percentage of cases in boys is slightly higher than in girls. However, in adolescent children, colitis is more common in girls.

So, the occurrence of ulcerative colitis in a child can be triggered by the following factors:

  • genetic;
  • Unfavorable environment and product quality;
  • Weakened immune system;
  • Infections: dysbacteriosis, helminthiasis, etc.

Where does the disease reside?

Ulcerative colitis is located only in the intestines. Those. ulcers spread to only one segment of the intestine. Ulcerative colitis can appear as a form of pancolitis, which is located throughout the intestine, localized on the right or left side. Treatment depends on the location of the inflammation.

Symptoms

Symptoms of ulcerative colitis in a child occur in various variations: stomach cramps, diarrhea, bleeding from the anus, diarrhea, weight loss, chronic fatigue, decreased appetite. The child may have a fever, joint pain, multiple acne on the body, redness of the eyes. Someone may have one or two signs, while another has all the symptoms at once.

Measles, SARS, flu, abdominal trauma, stress - all these factors can serve as a favorable environment for the occurrence of ulcerative colitis. Of the children, boys are more susceptible to this disease.

Treatment

Treatment for colitis depends on the location of the ulcers and the presence of symptoms. There is a dietary and drug treatment - pills, anal suppositories, enemas, intravenous injections.

Nonspecific ulcerative colitis

Sometimes, with ulcerative colitis in children, symptoms that are not specific to the digestive system appear.

  • Paleness of the skin,
  • Conjunctivitis,
  • Red painful knots under the skin
  • Inflammation of the iris of the eye
  • Stomatitis,
  • Joint pain,
  • Temperature rise.

The consequences of non-specific ulcerative colitis in children are anemia, secondary intestinal infections, bleeding, intestinal obstruction, peritonitis and joint damage.

To date, the causes of nonspecific ulcerative colitis in children have not been fully elucidated. However, most physicians are inclined to believe that allergens are provocateurs: food, inhalation.

In children, as a result of non-specific ulcerative colitis, special changes are formed that are different from the changes that occur in the body of an adult. The rectum in children often remains intact.

The treatment of this colitis in children consists, first of all, of the appointment of a dietary table. A nutritionist will make a menu for the child, depending on the location of the focus of the disease and pain, tolerance or intolerance to certain types of products.

In addition, drug treatment of nonspecific ulcerative colitis is prescribed:

  • Sulfasalazine to normalize biopsy data,
  • antibiotics,
  • Spasmalholics.

With a timely diagnosis and correctly prescribed treatment, the prognosis is more favorable for a child than for an adult. However, more often the peak of the disease falls on the period of puberty of children.

Irritation of the colon

The process of removing feces immediately after eating in a 6-month-old baby is normal. Often, such urges can be observed in older children.

The risk of disease in infants falls on the period from 6 to 18 months. A baby has bowel movements up to 6 times a day. The first feces are abundant, partially formed. All subsequent stools are scanty, contain undigested food. However, children retain a good appetite, there is no weight loss.

After the diagnosis is made, the doctor prescribes treatment. The basic moment of treatment is a diet and medicines that soothe peristalsis.

spastic colitis

Irritable bowel syndrome or IBS is also called spastic or mucosal colitis, which is characterized by bloating, spasms, and malfunctioning of the intestines.

The reason may be food that is poor in slags (black bread, vegetables, cereals). The second possible reason is the suppression of the urge to defecate.

Symptoms: dry “sheep” feces several times a day, sometimes accompanied by pain and bloody discharge. The child does not sleep well, gets tired quickly, complains of a headache.

Spastic colitis is not a severe disease, rather, it refers to disorders gastrointestinal a path and is shown against chronic weariness, a stress or overexcitation.

Like other types of colitis in children, spastic colitis is treated primarily by proper nutrition- Compliance with diet and food intake.

A few tips for those who are diagnosed with spastic colitis: eat foods high in fiber, coarse bread, cereals, raw vegetables and fruits. It is recommended to minimize foods rich in carbohydrates.

Often, newborns and young children are diagnosed with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, which significantly worsen their condition. One of these pathologies is colitis of the large intestine. In this article, we will tell parents about possible reasons about the development of the disease, about typical symptoms, how the patient is diagnosed, and about the treatment process.

Causes

Colitis is a pathology of an inflammatory-dystrophic nature, which develops mainly in the human large intestine. In a child under one year old, colitis can affect tissues not only of the large intestine, but also of the small intestine. This is due to the physiological structure of the gastrointestinal tract of a young organism.
Often the disease develops due to the ingress of harmful bacteria and viruses into the digestive system. They can get in through the nose or mouth.

So often the infection of children passes during meals. The reason for the development of colitis of the large intestine may be non-compliance with the rules of personal hygiene. It is enough not to wash your hands once before eating to bring the infection into the gastrointestinal tract. In addition to the main causes of the development of pathology, it should also be noted that colitis can show characteristic symptoms due to the frequent stressful situations that the child had to endure. It can be strong emotional upheavals, experiences, a long nervous state.

The next reason is a disturbed diet. If a child at an early age does not eat several times a day, this leads to colitis and gastritis. For newborns, it is quite harmful to eat too solid food. Colon colitis often occurs due to a hereditary relationship. If one of the parents had previously observed a similar pathology, then if the likelihood of developing it in a child, even if the rules of nutrition or preventive measures.

In medicine, there is a separate classification of colitis of the large intestine. Belonging to a certain type is revealed during the fixation of the symptoms manifested, as well as after diagnosing the cause of the disease.

So quite often, allergic-type colitis can be observed in children. In this case, the cause of the pathology was an allergic reaction to the drug or food. Allergic colitis occurs due to the high sensitivity of the child's body to certain types of bacteria in the intestinal microflora.

Symptoms

As soon as the child begins to show typical symptoms of the pathology of the gastrointestinal tract, you should immediately consult a doctor for diagnosis and treatment. Exacerbation of colitis symptoms is usually associated with dysfunction of the digestive system. The main manifestation of colitis is pain in the epigastric region.

With colitis, a frequent sign of dysfunction is loose stools, which are periodically replaced by constipation. This is due to a violation of the peristalsis of the gastrointestinal tract. There is a constant feeling incomplete emptying intestines. Often there is increased gas formation, bloating.

Symptoms include regular bitter belching, nausea and vomiting, and an unpleasant odor from the patient's mouth. After eating, heaviness in the abdomen is formed, periodic pains appear. A characteristic sign is weight loss, loss of appetite, decreased physical activity, lethargy.

After some time, you can observe the characteristic signs of dehydration, dry skin, fatigue. During inflammatory processes in the intestines in children, body temperature may rise, usually it fluctuates around 38 degrees. With an exacerbation of the pathology, the manifestation of a symptom of anemia (atrophic or chronic form) is possible.

A sick child constantly manifests a bad mood, nervousness, capriciousness. It is much more difficult to determine colitis in children under the age of one year. First of all, because parents may not understand why their child is crying or screaming. Usually during this period it is observed quite often, so it is not always possible to respond to the disease in time.

Video "Treatment of dysbacteriosis"

Diagnostics

In order to properly start the treatment of the disease, the patient should be diagnosed with the digestive system. Diagnosis is carried out using several methods. First of all, the doctor performs palpation of the patient. He feels the painful place for the presence of tumors, protrusions and other abnormalities.

Then blood and stool tests are ordered. As a result of laboratory tests, the type of colitis can be identified, as well as the cause of the exacerbation of symptoms. The level of red blood cells, hemoglobin and total proteins is checked. Leukocytosis can be detected, which is often observed in colitis.

After a blood test, an x-ray of the intestine may be ordered. Before the diagnosis, the patient drinks a barium suspension for contrast display in the pictures of the walls of the digestive system. Colonoscopy or histological studies on the biological material of the patient may also be prescribed.

Treatment and prevention

Usually, drug therapy is prescribed for effective treatment. One of the most common groups of drugs is an antibiotic. It is aimed at the destruction of harmful pathogens. With an exacerbation of the symptoms of pathology, it is necessary to prescribe a complex treatment using antibiotics, enzymatic preparations, probiotics.

You will also need anesthetics to reduce pain, restorative agents that will improve tissue regeneration in the affected area, and, if necessary, antipyretic drugs. If the result of the pathology is the causative agent of allergy, then the treatment is carried out with the use of antihistamines.

Common treatment using prescriptions traditional medicine. Also folk remedies used as a preventive measure. With the next exacerbation of chronic colitis, it will be necessary to treat the patient simultaneously with the use of traditional medicine and folk remedies.

Traditional medicine includes various decoctions, herbal teas, infusions and other compounds. Among the most effective traditional medicine for colitis is honey and propolis.

Video "What is dysbacteriosis"

To deal with this infectious disease, we advise you to watch the following video. In it, you will learn all about the symptoms, treatment and prevention of colitis in the intestines.

Colitis is an inflammatory disease of the large intestine that affects the epithelial layer of the mucous membrane. In the case of a prolonged pathological process, dystrophy of the intestinal mucosa occurs with its thinning.

Why does colitis occur and how does it proceed?

The exact answer why colitis occurs in children does not exist due to the characteristics of the body of each child and social differences. When favorable conditions arise, colitis develops, sometimes due to a combination of factors and the appearance of an infectious agent.

The development of colitis can contribute to various provoking factors:

  • hereditary predisposition;
  • stress and emotional excitability;
  • food poisoning;
  • long-term drug treatment;
  • deficiency of immunity;
  • autoimmune diseases;
  • helminthic invasions;
  • digestive system defect or underdevelopment;
  • transferred infectious diseases.

In infants, colitis occurs with inflammation of the small intestine due to anatomical features. Older children colitis is an isolated inflammation of the large intestine. Symptoms in children are strongly pronounced from the first days of the disease. More often, colitis develops in children after suffering an intestinal disease.

The main causative agents of colitis:

  • staphylococci;
  • coli;
  • streptococcus;
  • mycobacterium tuberculosis;
  • viruses.

The drug on herbs, successfully removes the inflammatory process, cleanses the body, neutralizes pathogenic bacteria, viruses and fungi.

Colitis classification

Colitis can be classified by dystrophic changes in the intestine:

  • atrophic;
  • catarrhal;
  • erosive and ulcerative.

Inflammation can occur in isolation in one place or in several, so colitis is distinguished:

  • Typhlitis. Inflammation of the limited nature of the caecum.
  • Typhlocolitis. Inflammation of the intestines of the large and ascending sections.
  • Transverse. Colitis, characterized by inflammation of the transverse colon.
  • Sigmoiditis. Inflammation of the sigmoid colon.
  • Angulite. Inflammation of the part of the intestine between the descending colon and the transverse colon.
  • . Inflammation of the rectum.
  • Prostosigmoiditis. Inflammation of the sigmoid and rectum.
  • Pacocolitis. Inflammation of the intestines of a generalized nature.

Symptoms in a child

The disease begins suddenly and acutely with severe intoxication of the body in a child.

The disease is accompanied by the following complaints from the child:

  • nausea;
  • vomit;
  • weakness;
  • abdominal pain;
  • frequent stool.

Colitis is characterized by hyperthermia, nausea, and vomiting. Due to spasms of the intestines, the child develops pain and tenesmus, localized in the iliac region. The frequency of stool reaches up to 15 times a day. The stool becomes greenish with mucus or streaks of blood. reasons can be found here.

In infants, rectal prolapse may be observed, the symptoms of dehydration are severe: lethargy, dry mucous membranes and a decrease in the amount of urine and frequency of urination.

Chronic colitis is undulating, that is, the remission of the disease is replaced by relapses. During relapses, symptoms of acute colitis appear.

Stool disorder in children with chronic colitis is expressed by alternating constipation with diarrhea. Stool has the appearance of undigested food, "sheep" or ribbon-like stool. Often children suffer from rectal fissures due to the discharge of hard feces.

Children with chronic colitis may develop psychovegetative disorders:

  • headache;
  • weight loss;
  • weakness;
  • sleep disturbance;
  • irritability.

Treatment should begin immediately! Protect yourself and your loved ones!

Causes of colitis in children

Colitis appears in children for the following reasons:

  • intestinal infection;
  • allergy;
  • violation of the diet;
  • food poisoning;
  • unfavorable condition of the place of residence;
  • antibacterial therapy;
  • stress;
  • helminths;
  • heredity;
  • dysbacteriosis.

I did not expect such an effect. The body recovered, even the skin became smooth and even, the stool returned to normal. I'm very happy with this result."

Diagnostics

It is very important to differentiate colitis from other diseases with similar symptoms. After all, the tactics of treatment and the outcome of the disease depend on the diagnosis.

List of diseases for differential diagnosis:

  • Crohn's disease;
  • hemorrhagic vasculitis;
  • intestinal infection;
  • helminths;
  • shigellosis;
  • abdominal form of tuberculosis;
  • appendicitis syndrome;
  • tumors and polyps of the colon;
  • celiac disease

Necessary laboratory and instrumental studies:

  1. general blood analysis;
  2. blood chemistry;
  3. stool analysis;
  4. x-ray of the intestine;
  5. intestinal endoscopy;
  6. material biopsy.

Colitis treatment

A therapeutic diet is necessary for patients with acute colitis, and is also recommended for its chronic form. The diet helps to reduce the inflammatory process in the intestines by reducing the processes of fermentation and decay of food in the digestive system.

Diet number 4

Table number 4 involves limiting the use of fats and carbohydrates in the diet and the use of a sparing regimen for the intestines to avoid irritation of the digestive organs. Recommended the energy value diet should be no more than 2050 kcal.

Diet features:

Diet indications:

  • inflammatory bowel disease.
  • dysentery;
  • gastroenteritis;
  • colitis;
  • gastritis.

Diet principles:

  • The treatment table should be high-protein.
  • In case of diarrhea, food is consumed in crushed and mashed form. What, read here.
  • The frequency of nutrition is 6 times a day in a warm form.
  • All products must be boiled.
  • The duration of the diet is not more than 7 days.
  • Mandatory restriction of carbohydrates.
  • The use of cold and hot dishes is prohibited.
  • You can't overeat.

What is possible and what is not?

  • low-fat varieties of fish;
  • dairy products with a fat content of less than 2.5%;
  • dishes from chicken eggs in the form of an omelet;
  • pasta and vermicelli;
  • lean meats;
  • weak tea, jelly and compotes;
  • butter;
  • decoctions of buckwheat and rice groats.

Prohibited Products:

  • cereals;
  • sauces;
  • lemonade and any sweet drinks;
  • vegetables;
  • fruit;
  • bread;
  • flour products;
  • canned food;
  • seasonings and spices.

Approximate menu for the day

Approximate diet menu for a day for a child:

  • Breakfast: a glass of rosehip broth, 150 gr. omelet from egg whites. A couple of crackers.
  • 2nd breakfast: 100 gr. cottage cheese.
  • Dinner: 100 gr. liquid soup with grated chicken breast, 100 gr. vermicelli with boiled cutlet. A glass of blueberry jelly.
  • Afternoon snack: with rice decoction takan.
  • Dinner: 200 gr. vermicelli with boiled fish. A glass of weak tea.
  • 2nd dinner: with takan kefir 1%, cracker.

Diet depending on the type of colitis

Colitis can occur with constipation or diarrhea. Depending on the nature of the stool disorder, the list of prohibited foods may change.

List of prohibited foods for colitis with constipation:

  • rich soups;
  • fatty meat and mushrooms;
  • pasta;
  • semolina;
  • fresh bread;
  • chocolate, strong tea;
  • spicy seasonings.

List of prohibited foods for colitis with diarrhea:

  • legumes;
  • milk;
  • vegetables and side dishes from them;
  • sugar;
  • sweets, cookies.

With these types of colitis, it is necessary to adhere to several recommendations, thanks to which you can speed up the healing process:

  • It is recommended to have dinner no later than 20.00 with light meals.
  • The products consumed by the patient should be enriched with calcium and potassium.
  • Fluid intake should be limited.
  • It is necessary to eat small portions, but often every 3 hours.
  • The diet should include foods containing proteins up to 150 gr.
  • Food should be consumed warm.
  • You need to cook only for a couple or boil products.


  • carrot;
  • cabbage;
  • greenery;
  • radish;
  • fruit;
  • smoked products;
  • legumes;
  • juices;
  • semi-finished products;
  • chocolate.

Nutrition for spastic colitis

This type of colitis requires a strict rejection of sweets.

In addition, it is necessary to increase the amount of fiber-rich foods consumed, so the following foods form the basis of the diet:

  • vegetables;
  • bran bread;
  • legumes;
  • fruit.

In the absence of pain, cereals and juices diluted with water are allowed. In case of relapse, these products are banned from use.

List of prohibited products:

  • fatty meats;
  • butter;
  • dairy products;
  • high fat cheeses.

Diet for colitis during an exacerbation

During the period of exacerbation of colitis, it is recommended to drink tea, rosehip broth. It is necessary to exclude sweet foods and juices from the diet. From the 2nd day, the table can be expanded, and permitted foods are allowed to be consumed. All products must be boiled.

  • mucous porridges;
  • wheat crackers;
  • decoctions of wild rose and quince;
  • soups on a weak broth;
  • weak tea.

Nutrition for colitis in remission

During the period of remission, a large number of products are allowed, only cooking means: boiling, stewing, baking.


List of allowed products:

  • cereals and cereals, with the exception of barley and millet;
  • dairy products;
  • eggs in the form of an omelet;
  • vegetables only in stewed or baked form;
  • fruits are best consumed in a baked form;
  • dried bread;
  • tea and coffee with milk;
  • lean meats and semi-finished products;
  • kissels and compotes;
  • fresh cucumbers and tomatoes.

Rehabilitation after treatment

After recovery and in the stage of remission of colitis, it is recommended to undergo a rehabilitation course.

Rehabilitation includes:

  • treatment in a sanatorium-preventorium;
  • exercise therapy, massage and breathing exercises;
  • taking a course of probiotics and enzymes.

Forecast

With timely diagnosis and treatment, the prognosis is favorable. The disease can go into a stable remission stage. With frequent relapses of the disease, the physical development of the child and their social development in society suffer.

Complications

With untimely treatment and late access to a doctor, the risk of developing the following complications increases:

  • ulcer perforation;
  • intestinal obstruction;
  • peritonitis;
  • sepsis;
  • vascular thrombosis;
  • necrosis of intestinal tissues;
  • fistulas;
  • haemorrhoids;
  • sphincter weakness.

Prevention

For primary prevention of the disease, the following recommendations should be observed:

  • proper nutrition;
  • sanitation of foci of infection;
  • timely treatment of infectious diseases;
  • compliance with the rules of personal hygiene;
  • instilling good eating habits;
  • exemption from physical activity at school.
  • clinical examination;
  • drug therapy 1 time in 2 years.

Colitis can occur in babies of any age. In the neonatal period and in babies of the first years of life, this pathology affects both the large and small intestines due to the structural features of the child's body. The inflammation is dystrophic. The disease in many cases develops against the background of intoxication with viruses and bacteria that enter the child's body from the outside. This is due to non-compliance with the diet and rules of personal hygiene. Pathology can develop with frequent stress. In infants, the disease occurs when switching to "adult" food. In most cases, colitis is formed with uncontrolled use of antibiotics. The genetic factor, unfavorable environmental conditions play an important role in the development of the disease.

In 10% of cases, intestinal colitis begins to develop in childhood.

Description of the disease

Children's colitis is an inflammation of the thick section, accompanied by cutting intense pain with functional disorders of the intestine. More than 10% of colitis cases develop in infancy. Therefore, the main problem of pediatric gastroenterology is the diagnosis and treatment of inflammation of the colon.

Since the digestive system in babies of the first years of life has some structural features, inflammation captures two sections in the intestine. This disease is called enterocolitis. In adolescence, isolated lesions of different parts of the intestine, classified as enteritis and colitis, are more common. Consequently, the inflammatory process is limited and widespread, that is, covering several areas.

With damage to the distal intestine, proctitis develops, and with inflammation of the rectum and S-shaped intestine, proctosigmonditis develops. The disease happens:

  • acute and chronic;
  • infectious and non-infectious;
  • ulcerative and spastic.

Relate to dysentery disorders. Frequent exacerbations of a protracted form lead to a delay in physical development and psychosocial adaptation.

Causes of colitis in a child

The acute form of the disease develops when the child's body is affected by pathogenic bacteria and viruses, such as salmonella, escherichiosis, retrovirus, shigellosis. Along with colitis, gastritis and gastroenteritis develop. The disease can occur against the background of food intolerance, diet disorders, intoxication with harmful substances.

The disease can be congenital or hereditary. In this case, the cause of inflammation lies in the genetic features. In older children, colitis develops with vegetative-vascular dystonia, due to underdevelopment of the intestines, bad habits, and a sedentary lifestyle. Often the causes of colitis are hypovitaminosis and endocrine disorders.

Symptoms

The permanent form is characterized by the alternation of the acute phase and remission. With such colitis, the clinical picture manifests itself during the period of exacerbation. During this period, the baby may experience cutting pain in the left abdomen. Against the background of loss of appetite, body weight decreases. The main manifestations of this form: frequent (up to 5 times) stools with mucus and blood.

The rest of the time, intermittent pain may occur during defecation, movement and after eating. The stool often changes - from constipation to diarrhea with different feces in consistency and color. The stool may contain undigested food or foamy mucus.

If the manifestations of chronic colitis are severe and frequent constipation, cracks appear at the sphincter opening, which leads to the appearance of blood in the stool. The child feels fullness and frequent false calls to the toilet. Due to overwork, loss of appetite and insomnia, anemia and hypovitaminosis develop.

It proceeds in three forms, depending on the degree of manifestation:

  • light;
  • moderate;
  • heavy.

According to the prevalence of symptoms, two types of inflammation are distinguished
- segmental and total. Main features:

  • severe nausea;
  • general weakness and fatigue;
  • pain in the lower abdomen;
  • very frequent diarrhea.

Feces are watery, green in color with bloody impurities. In infants and newborns, rectal prolapse is possible. Against the background of diarrhea, dehydration develops. In this case, the skin loses firmness and elasticity, becoming excessively dry. Facial features are sharpened.

Symptoms of colitis are differentiated from similar manifestations of cystic fibrosis, dyskinesia of the bile ducts, diverticulitis, acute appendicitis.

Diagnostic measures

Several methods will help to diagnose the disease and determine the form of colitis in a child:

Tactics for stopping the disease

Common treatments for childhood colitis include:

  1. Anti-inflammatory therapy by exposure to high-frequency electromagnetic fields, methods of treatment with electromagnetic waves of the decimeter range, therapeutic mud of various origins.
  2. Anesthetic therapy by prescribing electrophoresis with novocaine.
  3. Appointment of antispasmodics taken during sessions of high-frequency magnetotherapy, electrophoresis, applications with heat carriers, sitz baths.
  4. Specific methods, including endonasal electrophoresis with vitamins of group "B", exposure to the intestines with direct electric current at low voltage (up to 80 V), current irradiation with a frequency of 50-100 Hz, drinking mineral waters, prescribing microclysters, colon hydrotherapy.
  5. Treatment with sedatives, including the effects of current pulses on the brain, electrophoresis with bromine on the cervical-collar zone, coniferous baths.

Recovery of bowel functions after an exacerbation of colitis differs in duration with the use of complex techniques.

Diet therapy is one of the main techniques for stopping the disease. Little patients are assigned a table menu No. 4, in which dairy products are excluded, and dishes are enriched with proteins from fish, meat, and eggs.

To normalize the microflora prescribe probiotics

At the same time, antibiotics are prescribed: Sulfasalazine, Mexaform, Erythromycin, Enteroseptol. The list of drugs includes analgesics, anticholinergics, ganglion receptor blockers, such as Novocain, Atropine, etc. To maintain normal intestinal microflora, the following are taken:

  • enzymes;
  • antihistamines;
  • probiotics;
  • enveloping, adsorbing and astringent agents;
  • vitamins of group B, PP, A.

Surgical methods of treatment are taken in extreme cases, when the disease is not curable by traditional medicine. Operations are indicated for specific forms of the disease: Crohn's disease, non-specific manifestation of ulcerative and ischemic inflammation of the intestine. During the operation, a large part of the intestine is partially removed. This creates a connection at the ileum and rectum.

Ulcerative colitis is treated by excising the colon and the inside of the rectum, while sparing the muscle tissue of the rectum.

Folk methods of treatment are represented by a number of recipes:

  • a decoction of alder cones, taken orally for 4 months;
  • cleaning with microclysters with chamomile or St. John's wort for 1 month;
  • microclysters at night with sea buckthorn oil in the amount of 60 g - for adolescents, 30 g - in the first years of life;
  • flaxseed tinctures;
  • cleaning with enemas on mummy with a dilution of 0.05-0.1 g of the substance - for adolescents, 0.02 g - from 3 months to 1 year.

Before using any of the above methods, you should consult your doctor.