A problem like diathesis is known to many parents. What does the well-known pediatrician Komarovsky think about her and how does he propose to act when detecting diathesis in a child?
What is it?
The word "diathesis" is heard by modern mothers, but Komarovsky notes that most mothers interpret it incorrectly, not understanding the essence of this term. Such a diagnosis does not exist in the books of foreign pediatricians. And this is not surprising, since diathesis is a term in domestic medicine.
Why does diathesis appear?
Explaining what is meant by the term "diathesis", Komarovsky suggests paying attention to the fact that some diseases are noted only in childhood. For example, if an adult eats strawberries, they will not have flushed and flaky cheeks. According to the famous pediatrician, a growing child has a number of features. They relate to the digestion of food, and to the baby's reactions to drugs and household chemicals, and the frequency of infections.
Komarovsky emphasizes that two main factors affect the health level of any child:
- Heredity.
- External environment.
Firstly, the baby is influenced by genes that were passed on to him from dad and mom, and secondly, all the factors that acted on him in utero and after childbirth. This is the ecology of the area in which the family lives, and water, and the duration of sleep, and the food consumed, and much more.
All these factors determine a certain constitution of the body. It is she who determines how the child will look, how his internal organs will work, how often he will get sick and what diseases. Diathesis is called such constitutional changes in which the child is more prone to a number of diseases or inadequately reacts to stimuli.
As Komarovsky notes, diathesis is not a diagnosis or a disease. This word simply describes the infant's predisposition to certain diseases. And therefore, diathesis cannot be cured and cured, because it is impossible to influence the addiction. We can only diagnose the child with a specific disease that appeared during diathesis, and then treat it.
Kinds
There are about ten different types of predisposition to diseases, but Komarovsky calls the following diathesis the most common:
- Exudative-catarrhal. This type of diathesis is also called allergic, since with it the child is prone to allergic reactions and inflammatory diseases.
- Neuro-arthritic. With such a diathesis, the child is noted to have increased nervous excitability, as well as a tendency to pathologies such as diabetes mellitus, joint diseases, hypertension, obesity.
- Lymphatic-hypoplastic. This type of diathesis is characterized by pathology of the lymph nodes and poor functioning of the thymus. In this case, the child is prone to allergies and infections.
Treatment methods
If a nursing mother ate, for example, an orange, and then discovered a rash in the child, Komarovsky suggests calling it not a diathesis, but an allergy. The child developed inflammation, which has an allergic nature. And it is due to diathesis.
The renowned pediatrician names two ways parents act:
- Mom decides that the child has diathesis, nothing can be done about it, because heredity is to blame for everything and she also had a rash after an orange in her childhood, but passed with age. And he continues to eat citrus fruits, since there is still nothing to be done. This way, according to Komarovsky, unfortunately, is very common for our country.
- Mom does not call such a reaction diathesis and does not blame heredity, but stops eating citrus fruits, while the baby is being treated for a specific disease - allergic dermatitis.
The popular doctor emphasizes that people are always unpleasant to feel guilty, so they are more willing to blame the constitution and heredity than to change the factors that influence the formation of the constitution and heredity.
Komarovsky argues that the knowledge of the correct behavior during pregnancy, the life of the newborn, the peculiarities of feeding, sleeping, walking, leisure, hardening and other nuances, as well as the lack of desire to constantly treat something, help to avoid diathesis. And in order to cure a baby, you need to establish the correct diagnosis and treat the disease that has developed in the child.
Allergic dermatitis
Komarovsky calls this disease the most frequent manifestation of diathesis. It manifests itself as redness on the skin that looks like specks, spots, dots, often itches and flakes, cracks and even ulcerates. It is such a disease that in most cases is implied when they talk about diathesis.
The renowned physician claims that the main role in helping a child with allergic dermatitis belongs to the parents, not the doctors. On the skin of a child with allergic dermatitis, you only see manifestations of what is happening inside the child's body.
The rash is triggered by the production of antibodies to allergenic substances. It is only a consequence of the contact of the child's body with allergens. And if the doctor can only help reduce the appearance on the skin, then the parents can prevent their appearance. To do this, you just need to find out how the allergen enters the crumbs' body - through food, through the respiratory system or by contact.
Preventive measures should be directed all the way:
- Food grade. There is no need to rush to introduce complementary foods and introduce the child to those foods that are likely to cause allergies. Parents should be more careful in choosing foods for the children's table, and if the manifestations of allergies have intensified, keep a food diary.
- Respiratory. Parents should be alert when using aerosols or any strong smelling substances. A source of allergens for crumbs can be a pet and dust.
- Contact. Maximum attention should be paid to the quality of the child's clothes, the detergents used, the quality of the bathing water, and the quality of the toys.
In addition, Komarovsky advises:
- Do not overheat the child. With active sweating, dermatitis will manifest itself more strongly, and a lack of fluid will reduce the excretion of allergenic substances in the urine.
- Eliminate constipation in time. They not only exacerbate the manifestations of dermatitis, but also often cause it.
- Walk often and monitor the humidity in the room. These measures will keep your lungs working so that they can actively remove allergens.
- Do not give your child medication on your own. Children with allergic dermatitis should only be prescribed medication by a doctor.
- Do not dramatize, because this disease is usually a temporary phenomenon. With age, immunity, intestines and liver improve, and, as people say, the child "outgrows".
