Changes in the composition of the microflora in the baby's intestines can cause problems with digestion and health in the baby. It is necessary to respond promptly to the symptoms of dysbiosis and consult a doctor.
It takes a long time and patiently to treat dysbiosis when it appears, therefore it is easier and more expedient to prevent this disease. In addition, dysbiosis can cause unpleasant consequences. What measures can prevent the appearance of dysbiosis and when should they start taking them?
Babies
Prevention of changes in the microflora in the baby's intestines should be started long before the baby is born. Preventive measures to prevent the development of dysbacteriosis in infants should begin during pregnancy and include:
- Proper nutrition for the expectant mother.
- Prevention of the development of dysbiosis in the woman's vagina.
- Treatment of foci of chronic infection in a pregnant woman.
- The right choice of maternity hospital.
A woman should eat enough dairy products, grains, vegetables, protein products, fruits and other healthy foods. The expectant mother should eat smoked, spicy, excessively fatty, and allergenic foods to a minimum.
If candidiasis is detected during pregnancy, it should be treated long before the onset of labor, because during the movement of the baby through the birth canal, the correct microorganisms must enter his body.
As for other infections in the body of a pregnant woman, in order to prevent dysbiosis in a baby, a woman needs to pay close attention to diseases of the digestive system, teeth and nasopharynx. Also, the expectant mother should avoid colds so that there is no reason to prescribe antibiotics during gestation.
It is also important to inquire about the conditions in the maternity hospital, which the woman chose. Whether it is applied to the breast immediately after childbirth, whether there are conditions for a joint stay with the baby - these questions are extremely important for preventing the colonization of the baby's intestines with harmful microflora.
After birth, measures for the prevention of dysbiosis should be aimed at organizing breastfeeding.
For the colonization of the baby's intestines with useful microflora, it is important:
- Attach the baby to the mother's breast as early as possible.
- Breastfeed your baby in the first month of life and longer.
- Introduce complementary foods correctly.
- If it is impossible to breastfeed, correctly transfer to an adapted mixture.
- Avoid unmotivated antibiotic prescription.
It is especially important to give the baby colostrum, which is produced in the mother's breast in the first days of the baby's life. It contains not only those microorganisms that should normally populate the children's intestines, but also factors that contribute to the growth of beneficial microflora.
If breastfeeding is impossible for one reason or another, the formula for the baby should be chosen correctly, and the transfer to artificial feeding should be gradual. As for complementary foods, in the prevention of dysbacteriosis, it is important not to give the baby food that is not suitable for the baby in age. The rush to introduce new products can become a factor provoking dysbiosis, which will only harm the digestion of the crumbs.
Older children
In older children, the first place in terms of importance among preventive measures is child nutrition. Particular attention should be paid to the use of a sufficient amount of fiber and fermented milk products.
The child's lifestyle is no less important. The kid should walk daily, get enough physical activity, bathe regularly so that his body is able to resist harmful microorganisms.
Parents of a child older than a year should also remember about such factors provoking the appearance of dysbiosis as:
- Long-term antibiotic therapy and other medications;
- Stress and frequent colds;
- Helminthic invasions.
It is important to examine the child on time when adverse symptoms appear and to follow the doctor's instructions when treating colds and other health problems. Prescribing antibiotics and any other medicines to a crumb without consulting a doctor can be unsafe and lead to an imbalance of the intestinal microflora.
