Children's stomatitis is a fairly common disease. Most often, babies under the age of three are sick with it, but there are precedents for older children. Stomatitis is an unpleasant and painful "story", but quite treatable.
What is stomatitis for children
Stomatitis refers to a number of diseases that cause inflammation and irritation of the oral mucosa. The disease got its name from the Latin word - “stoma” (translated as mouth).
Stomatitis is the most common oral disease in children. This is due to the fact that the mucous membrane in babies is delicate, thin and susceptible to pathogenic bacteria.
The disease can be mild, moderate or even severe. Oral ulcers are the main symptom of stomatitis.
Causes of stomatitis
The causes of stomatitis in children can be different:
- severe burns of the oral mucosa;
- non-compliance with hygiene rules;
- transferred viral diseases;
- getting a fungal infection into the oral cavity;
- genetic predisposition to the disease;
- viral herpes;
- weak immunity;
- childish habit of pulling objects into the mouth;
- strong temperature difference.
Varieties of stomatitis
Depending on the source of the disease, stomatitis is:
- fungal;
- bacterial;
- viral;
- allergic;
- traumatic;
- aphthous (of an autoimmune nature).
Depending on the type of stomatitis, there may be different causes of the disease. If the doctor diagnosed bacterial (infectious) stomatitis, the cause of the disease is most often a complication after severe tonsillitis, otitis media, or pneumonia. A characteristic symptom is a thick yellow crust on the lips and a slight increase in temperature. The causative agents are most often staphylococci and streptococci.
Viral or herpetic stomatitis is most common in children. The method of infection is airborne and through toys and household items. Basically, this type of stomatitis affects children aged one to four years.
The illness begins as a common cold, but with a rash on the lips and small sores on the tongue and inside of the cheeks. The sores are oval or round in shape, give off an unpleasant odor and bleed when peeled off. The mucous membrane of the mouth turns red and swells. If herpetic stomatitis becomes a protracted form, the rash can burst, forming bright red erosions.
This is a very unpleasant type of disease, as it can be severe and be accompanied by intoxication. Viral stomatitis in children can still occur against the background of other viral diseases (chickenpox, measles).
Fungal stomatitis most often affects babies under the age of 1 year. Its causative agent is the yeast-like fungus candida. Milk or formula that remains in your mouth after feeding is an excellent breeding ground for Candida fungi. Due to the constant white plaque in the mouth, such stomatitis is often called thrush. If the plaque does not go away, the baby is capricious and refuses to eat - this is a reason to see the pediatrician.
Allergic stomatitis for children can be an individual reaction to certain foods, pollen, animal dander, or medications. If an allergen is detected, it must be removed in order to avoid a stronger reaction of the body (anaphylactic shock). The main symptoms of pediatric stomatitis are swelling of the oral mucosa, itching, and pain.
Traumatic stomatitis is associated with damage to the oral mucosa. This can be: biting, burns, damage from sharp edges of the object. As a result of injury, a wound, abrasion or sore appears. In this case, there is the addition of a microbial infection with the formation of pus.
Aphthous stomatitis in children is already largely an autoimmune disease. Its characteristic symptom is the formation of aft (sores with round edges).
Diagnosis and treatment of stomatitis in children
First, a doctor (dentist or pediatrician) examines the child and makes a diagnosis. Usually microbial, aphthous and traumatic stomatitis is diagnosed after a routine examination.
To identify the causative agent of the disease, it is necessary to conduct a number of laboratory tests. To do this, a scraping (smear) is taken from the affected oral mucosa and sent for examination.
If a child develops bacterial, aphthous or fungal stomatitis, it is necessary to additionally consult a pediatric endocrinologist, an allergist-immunologist and a gastroenterologist. You may need to pass additional tests:
- analysis of feces for helminth eggs;
- feces for dysbiosis;
- conduct a blood test for blood sugar levels.
The method of treating pediatric stomatitis depends on the type of disease. Local therapy is carried out, a course of drugs is selected to eliminate the causative agent of the disease and relieve symptoms (swelling, pain, ulcers).
Be sure to follow the diet. During treatment, it is necessary to remove from the child's diet all food that irritates the oral mucosa. The ban includes:
- spicy;
- salty;
- sour;
- smoked;
- fast food;
- too hard food.
Food should be warm, liquid, or semi-liquid in consistency. After each meal, it is imperative to rinse your mouth to avoid exacerbation of the disease or the addition of an additional infection. It is helpful to practice antiseptic gargles three to four times a day.
It is better to avoid frequent snacks so as not to injure the mucous membranes once again. Give more warm drinks.
When eating, children with stomatitis often experience pain and discomfort, they become moody, sleep poorly. For pain relief, you can ask your doctor to prescribe a special ointment that will alleviate the condition and make feeding less painful.
During the treatment of stomatitis, children are advised to take vitamins to enhance immunity and strengthen the body's defenses in order to reduce the risk of recurrence of the disease in the future.
Stomatitis is a very unpleasant disease that greatly reduces the quality of life of a child. Therefore, you do not need to self-medicate, following the advice of friends or information from the Internet. See a doctor in time, thus you will avoid complications and speed up the treatment of the child.
In advanced cases, complications of stomatitis may occur in the form of inflammation, which from the oral cavity can go to the skin of the face, lips or penetrate into the body, there is a risk of secondary infections.
Against this background, a serious general condition may develop, accompanied by an increase in temperature, general intoxication, damage to the nervous system, convulsions.
A common mistake of parents is to smear sores with brilliant green or hydrogen peroxide. This can cause a burn to the mucous membrane and only aggravate the child's condition. For the treatment of the mucous membrane, it is necessary to use special ointments ("Oxolin", "Acyclovir", "Holosal").
Another popular myth, especially among the older generation, is the treatment of stomatitis with honey. This is dangerous by the occurrence of an allergic reaction and a deterioration in the general condition of the patient.
Any type of stomatitis is an infectious disease, therefore, in order to avoid infecting other family members, it is better to temporarily limit their communication with a sick child. The baby should have separate dishes and hygiene items.
In the children's room, you need to do wet cleaning with disinfectants every day. Make sure that the child does not touch the sores with his hands or put his fingers in his mouth. In this case, there is a risk of transferring the disease to the mucous membrane of the eye.
Stomatitis treatment can take from one week to a month. It all depends on the type and severity of the disease, as well as the age of the child and the strength of his immunity.
Prevention of stomatitis
It is important to prevent stomatitis, especially for children who have already had stomatitis, because there is a risk of relapse. The main task is to teach the child basic rules and regulations of hygiene. Teach your child to wash his hands before eating and after walking, not to drag objects into his mouth, and to brush his teeth twice a day.
Wash your baby toys periodically with hot water and antibacterial soap. Dishes, teats, and teethers should also be clean.
Children's toys must be safe, free from sharp edges and harmful dyes.
Monitor the condition of the oral mucosa, especially in children under three years of age. After the child's first teeth have erupted, he needs to be shown to the pediatric dentist several times a year.
The children's diet should contain a sufficient amount of foods rich in useful vitamins and minerals. To strengthen the immune system, parents need to take care of the physical development of the child. Sports, conditioning, vitamins and proper nutrition will help to improve the health of the child.
