Since birth, we are surrounded by many microorganisms invisible to the eye. Many of them are part of our normal microflora, but some of them are harmful, because they cause various diseases that pose a health hazard. These include staphylococcus aureus.
Staphylococcus is a bacterium in the form of an oval or sphere. This microorganism causes people quite serious diseases (pneumonia, infections of the skin, joints, mucous membranes). There are several types of staphylococcus, leading to diseases: saprophytic, epidermal and golden. The first two rarely hit children. The danger is exactly the same as Staphylococcus aureus. Being a part of the normal microflora of the body, it is present on the skin, in the respiratory tract, the oral cavity, in the digestive tract. And with the weakening of protective forces, staphylococcus attacks and sometimes leads to meningitis, pneumonia, abscess, sepsis, etc. "Child" can catch a staphylococcus by contact with an infected object, crawling on the floor, eating contaminated food (most often milk or a mixture). It is children who, due to poor hygiene compliance, most often suffer from staphylococcal infection.
How is staphylococcus in children?
Symptoms of a dangerous infection depend on which organ of the baby was affected. When staphylococcus enters the digestive tract and develops enterocolitis, the bacterium produces toxins that cause severe poisoning. There is vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, the baby becomes sluggish and loses appetite.
The signs of staphylococcus in children with lesions of the skin include the appearance of a rash with pustules.
Most often, Staphylococcus aureus is the cause of respiratory diseases of the baby and manifests itself as a normal SARS. It is because of staphylococcal bacteria that the child has reddened throat, with the localization of white spots. Rather often there is a runny nose.
When infected with Staphylococcus aureus, symptoms in children are sometimes poorly expressed or coincide with signs of other diseases. So, for example, with pneumonia develops a dry cough, temperature, etc.
A stand-alone is how staphylococcus is manifested in newborns. In addition to these signs, you can suspect the infection by the greenish shade of the stool. With staphylococcal conjunctivitis, purulent discharge from the eyes appears. Omphalitis, or inflammation of the umbilical wound is manifested by puffiness, redness, and also suppuration. When infecting the skin with staphylococcus in infants, vesiculopustulosis may occur, characterized by the formation of blistering with turbid contents, and Ritter's disease, or scalded skin syndrome, when skin patches are exposed due to sloughing of the epithelium.
Than to treat staphilococcus in children?
Staphylococcus bacteria develop resistance to antimicrobials, so getting rid of infection is difficult. In the treatment of children, complex schemes using antibiotics (penicillin, methicillin, erythromycin, oxacillin) and sulfonamides are used. It is necessary to drink a full course, otherwise the bacteria left in the body
Prevention of staphylococcus is to follow the rules of hygiene (often washing hands, children's toys, household items), a survey of both parents for the presence of infection, including when planning a child or during pregnancy.