The newborn baby is under constant dynamic supervision by the pediatrician. When the baby is one month old, tests are prescribed to assess his health. Including feces can be taken for dysbiosis. From the results of the analysis, you can find out whether enterococci in the feces of the baby are normal.
Potty baby
Useful and harmful properties of enterococci
Enterococci are bacteria present in the human intestinal flora. Good gut health has a beneficial effect on the immune system and promotes emotional and mental health. Lactic acid bacteria such as enterococci make a significant contribution to human health.
Starting from the first days of life, enterococci appear in the intestinal microflora. Initially, they perform a rather useful function, contributing to:
- assimilation of sugar;
- the synthesis of vitamins;
- destruction of harmful microorganisms.
However, an excess of the number of enterococci requires special attention, since they can cause a number of serious diseases.
Enterococci under a microscope
There are 15 types of enterococci. Some strains help with the fermentation process, so they are used, for example, in the manufacture of cheese.
The two most famous species are present in the human intestine:
- Enterococcus faecalis;
- Enterococcus faecium.
Important! E.faecalis and E.faecium promote healthy intestinal function, as they are particularly resistant to digestive acids and retain their positive effects.
Reasons for the appearance of enterococci
Enterococci are spread in the intestinal microflora from the moment the baby is born. Initially, they can enter the child's body by airborne droplets. They are also present in breast milk, from where they enter the baby's intestines with the first feeding. The very presence of bacteria is normal, but pathological processes can begin to develop when the number of enterococci increases.
Important! The norm of Enterococcus in the feces of an infant under 1 year old is from 100,000 to 10,000,000 in 1 gram of feces.
Reasons for the increase in enterococci:
- colds;
- long-term use of antibiotics;
- invasive methods of medical diagnostics;
- adverse environmental conditions;
- early transition to adapted mixtures;
- introduction of complementary foods earlier than recommended.
The level of enterococci may be low relative to the norm, due to the physiology of an individual organism, but this does not have a negative effect on health and should not be treated.
Possible diseases
Increased quantity Enterocaboutccus in the feces increases the risk of developing the following diseases:
- Neonatal meningitis. This disease affects newborns during the first three months of life. Although the predominant pathogenic microorganisms causing the disease are group B streptococci, it has been established that enterococci are also capable of provoking the development of neonatal meningitis;
The baby may get meningitis
- Diverticulitis. Pathology, the final stage of development of which are protrusions (diverticula) on the walls of organs with a hollow structure (intestines, bladder, etc.);
- Bacteremia is the presence of bacteria in the blood. It can be transient and ending without any consequences. One of the unfavorable course of the disease is the subsequent sepsis;
- Lesions of the genitourinary system. A newborn may develop vulvitis - inflammation of the mucous membrane of the external genital organs;
- Enteritis. An infectious bowel disease characterized by diarrhea, abdominal pain, cramps, and vomiting;
- Colitis. Colon disease, rarely seen in children.
All these diseases are possible due to an increase in enterococci, but the likelihood of their occurrence in infants is low. The most common pathology is dysbiosis.
Symptoms of dysbiosis
The intestinal microflora is characterized by a variety of bacterial species. Under normal conditions, it remains in a balanced state, and gut bacteria are a protective barrier against infection. Both quantitative and qualitative disturbances in the composition of the intestinal microflora have an adverse effect on digestion and absorption of nutrients.
If enterococci in the feces of infants, which are opportunistic bacteria, are increased, this may mean that the balance is imbalanced, and dysbiosis is likely to develop.
Important! Dysbacteriosis is not a disease. This is a pathological condition, a syndrome indicating a violation of the microflora for any reason.
Changes in the baby's condition
Dysbiosis in a child can be recognized by the following symptoms, which are similar to other bowel disorders:
- Increased flatulence and the occurrence of intestinal cramps;
- The kid shows anxiety, cries and twists his legs;
The newborn becomes irritable
- Sleep disturbance;
- Rumbling in the abdomen, bloating, regurgitation and even vomiting. Typically, such attacks occur half an hour after feeding the baby.
In its development, dysbiosis goes through several stages, depending on which its manifestations change:
- At the first stage, an imbalance in the composition of bacteria in the intestinal flora is expressed in a decrease in the number of beneficial microorganisms, but pathogenic bacteria cannot yet increase their number. The general condition of the child does not change much. He begins to refuse food, often catch colds. The baby's stool is liquid, with green or whitish blotches;
- The second stage of dysbiosis begins with an increase in the number of opportunistic bacteria. If there is a malabsorption of nutrients in the small intestine, the feces come out with a foam and have a sharp putrid odor;
Important! After a certain time, diarrhea can be replaced by constipation. This is because the number of bifidobacteria, which are responsible for proper peristalsis, is significantly reduced in the baby's intestines.
- The third stage is marked by an increase in symptoms: frequent loose stools, bloating, and painful colic. The child is very restless, sleeps and eats poorly;
- At the fourth stage, the growth in the number of opportunistic bacteria occurs rapidly. They enter the bloodstream through the intestinal wall and are distributed throughout the body. Food is difficult to digest, and its leftovers become toxic. The bowel movements are frequent, thin, and have a strong smell. The child not only does not gain weight, but also loses.
To avoid further deterioration of the infant's condition, treatment must be started immediately after the pathology is detected. Preparations for dysbiosis quickly enough begin to have a positive effect on the baby's body.
If the number of enterococci is only slightly higher than the norm, in order to lower it, it will be enough to adjust the diet. Treatment with medications will only be required in the event of a significant deviation from the norm.
The following drugs are used to treat dysbiosis in a newborn:
- sorbents - drugs that cleanse the body of toxic substances;
- bacteriophages - destroy pathogenic microorganisms;
- prebiotics - stimulate the growth of normal microflora;
- probiotics - live bacterial cultures;
- antibiotics and antimicrobials are prescribed only for severe intestinal infections.
Preventive measures
Dysbacteriosis in a newborn is easier to prevent than to cure. The following actions will help prevent the development of a pathological condition:
- Breast-feeding. At the same time, mom should not eat a lot of sweets and fatty foods;
- For babies who are bottle-fed, fermented milk mixtures are necessarily introduced into the diet;
- To increase the child's immunity, walks in the fresh air, hardening procedures will be useful;
Hardening procedures
- Compliance with the rules of personal hygiene by family members.
As soon as the first alarming symptoms appear, you must immediately consult a doctor, without wasting time and without self-treatment, then success will be guaranteed.
