The child's body is constantly growing and therefore requires a considerable amount of "building" material - calcium, which not only participates in the formation of bone tissue and teeth, but also regulates metabolic processes in muscle tissues. Usually the main sources of this important trace element are dairy products - milk, cottage cheese, kefir, yoghurt. But if calcium is not in the body is not enough, drugs with its content are prescribed. These include calcium gluconate - time-tested and affordable.
How to give the child calcium gluconate?
Indications for this drug is primarily a lack of calcium of various origins: with prolonged bed rest, when there is increased isolation of the microelement, insufficiency of parathyroid gland functioning. This medicine is necessary for a child with various serious diseases (nephritis, hepatitis), skin lesions (itching, psoriasis, eczema), to reduce vascular permeability, poisoning by some means. The intake of calcium gluconate is indicated for children with allergies due to medications taken, or allergic diseases - serum sickness, hives, hay fever.
The drug is available in the form of tablets of 0.5 g and 0.25 grams and intramuscular and intravenous solution for injection (0.5 ml and 1 ml). Dosage calcium gluconate is usually prescribed by a doctor according to the age of the child and his disease.
When prescribing calcium gluconate in tablets, children should take the medicine 2-3 times a day. For better absorption, the tablet can be ground and given to the baby with water or milk an hour before eating. There are tablets with 5% cocoa content.
When appointing calcium gluconate, children under one year are given 0.5 grams at a time. A single dose of children 2-4 years of age is 1 g, 5-6 years old - 1-1.5 g, 7-9 years - 1.5-2 g. A patient aged 10-14 years needs 2-3 g of calcium gluconate.
In case the doctor prescribed injections of calcium gluconate, injections to children are performed only intravenously, slowly for 2-3 minutes.
Adverse effects of calcium gluconate intake
When taking this remedy, the child may experience nausea, diarrhea, or vomiting. And if the intravenous infusions are performed, a slowing of the pulse, disturbance of the heart rhythm is added.
Calcium gluconate can not be taken with renal insufficiency in the severe stage, sensitivity to the drug, hypercalcemia.