Home Drugs Symptoms of polio in children: how to recognize polio in a child in time? Symptoms of polio in children: onset of the disease Features of the course of polio in young children

Symptoms of polio in children: how to recognize polio in a child in time? Symptoms of polio in children: onset of the disease Features of the course of polio in young children

Poliomyelitis is an acute viral disease, affecting the central nervous system, primarily the spinal cord, and sometimes causing paralysis. The main method of spread is considered to be direct or indirect contact with the patient (through hands, handkerchiefs, clothing, etc.). Also spreads through food, water, and air.

What is it? The causative agent of poliomyelitis is polioviruses (poliovirus hominis) of the Picornaviridae family of the Enterovirus genus. There are three serotypes of the virus (type I predominates): I - Brunhilda (isolated from a sick monkey with the same name), II - Lansing (isolated in the town of Lansing) and III - Leon (isolated from a sick boy McLeon).

In some cases, the disease occurs in a mild or asymptomatic form. A person can be a carrier of the virus, releasing it into the external environment along with feces and nasal discharge, and still feel absolutely healthy. Meanwhile, susceptibility to polio is quite high, which is fraught with the rapid spread of the disease among the child population.

How is polio transmitted, and what is it?

Poliomyelitis (from ancient Greek πολιός - gray and µυελός - spinal cord) - infantile spinal paralysis, acute, highly contagious infectious disease, caused by damage to the gray matter of the spinal cord by poliovirus and characterized primarily by pathology of the nervous system.

Mostly occurs in an asymptomatic or erased form. Sometimes it happens that the poliovirus penetrates the central nervous system and multiplies in motor neurons, which leads to their death, irreversible paresis or paralysis of the muscles they innervate.

Infection occurs in several ways:

Airborne path– occurs when inhaling air with viruses suspended in it.
Nutritional route of transmission– infection occurs by eating contaminated food.
Contact and household path– possible when using the same utensils for eating by different people.
Water route – the virus enters the body with water.

Particularly dangerous in terms of infectious diseases are persons who suffer from diseases asymptomatically (in hardware form) or with nonspecific manifestations (slight fever, general weakness, increased fatigue, headache, nausea, vomiting) without signs of central nervous system damage. Such people can infect large number in contact with them, because It is very difficult to diagnose sick people, and, therefore, these individuals are practically not subject to isolation.

Vaccination against polio

Specific prevention is vaccination against polio. There are 2 types of polio vaccines:

live vaccine Sebina(OPV – contains live attenuated viruses)
inactivated(IPV – contains polioviruses of all three serotypes killed by formaldehyde).

Currently, the only manufacturer of polio vaccine in Russia is the Federal State Unitary Enterprise “Enterprise for the production of bacterial and viral preparations of the Institute of Poliomyelitis and Viral Encephalitis named after. M.P. Chumakova produces only live polio vaccines.

Other drugs for vaccination are traditionally purchased abroad. However, in February 2015, the company presented the first samples of an inactivated vaccine of its own development. The start of its use is planned for 2017.

Symptoms of polio

According to WHO, polio mainly affects children under 5 years of age. The incubation period lasts from 5 to 35 days, symptoms depend on the form of polio. According to statistics, most often the disease occurs without impairment of motor functions - for every one paralytic case there are ten non-paralytic ones. The initial form of the disease is the preparalytic form (non-paralytic poliomyelitis). It is characterized by the following symptoms:

The listed symptoms gradually disappear within one to two weeks, but in some cases they can last longer. As a result of headache and fever, symptoms arise that indicate damage to the nervous system.

In this case, the patient becomes more irritable and restless, observed emotional lability(mood instability, constant change). Muscle rigidity (that is, numbness) also occurs in the back and neck, and Kernig-Brudzinski signs appear, indicating the active development of meningitis. In the future, the listed symptoms of the preparalytic form may develop into the paralytic form.

Abortive form of polio

With the abortive form of polio, sick children complain of an increase in body temperature to 38 °C. Against the background of temperature, the following is observed:

In addition, there is redness of the throat, enterocolitis, gastroenteritis or catarrhal sore throat as concomitant diagnoses. The duration of manifestation of these symptoms is about 3-7 days. Poliomyelitis in this form is characterized by pronounced intestinal toxicosis; in general, there is a significant similarity in manifestations with dysentery; the course of the disease can also be cholera-like.

Meningeal form of polio

This form is characterized by its own severity, while symptoms similar to the previous form are noted:

Upon examination, the throat is red, there may be plaque on the palatine arches and tonsils. This state lasts 2 days. Then the body temperature normalizes, catarrhal symptoms decrease, and the child looks healthy within 2-3 days. After this, the second period of increasing body temperature begins. Complaints become more distinct:

sharp deterioration in condition;
severe headache;
vomit;
pain in the back and limbs, usually the legs.

An objective examination reveals symptoms characteristic of meningism (positive Kernig and Brudzinski signs, rigidity in the back and neck muscles). Improvement is achieved by the second week.

Paralytic polio

It develops quite rarely, but, as a rule, leads to disruption of many body functions and, accordingly, to disability:

Bulbarnaya. Particularly difficult is the development bulbar palsy. The entire group of caudal nerves is affected. Selective damage to one or two nerves is not typical for polio. When the reticular formation, respiratory and vascular centers are damaged, consciousness and respiratory disorders of central origin may be impaired.
Pontina. This type of polio is characterized by the development of paresis and paralysis. facial nerve, in which there is a partial or complete loss of facial movements.
Encephalitic. The brain substance and subcortical nuclei are affected (very rarely). Central paresis develops, convulsive syndrome, aphasia, hyperkinesis.
Spinal. Weakness and muscle pain are gradually replaced by paralysis, both general and partial. Muscle damage in this form of polio can be symmetrical, but paralysis occurs separate groups muscles throughout the body.

There are 4 periods during the course of the disease:

preparalytic;
paralytic;
restorative;
residual.

Preparalytic stage

It is characterized by a rather acute onset, high body temperature, general malaise, headache, gastrointestinal disorders, rhinitis, pharyngitis. This clinical picture persists for 3 days, then the condition normalizes for 2-4 days. Afterwards there comes a sharp deterioration in the condition with the same symptoms, but more pronounced intensity. The following signs are included:

Paralytic stage

This is the stage when the patient suddenly suffers from paralysis (within a couple of hours). This stage lasts from 2-3 to 10-14 days. Patients during this period often die from severe respiratory and circulatory disorders. It has the following symptoms:

flaccid paralysis;
defecation disorders;
decreased muscle tone;
limitation or complete absence active movements in the limbs, body;
damage mainly to the muscles of the arms and legs, but the muscles of the neck and torso may also be affected;
spontaneous muscle pain syndrome;
damage to the medulla oblongata;
urinary disorders;
damage and paralysis of the diaphragm and respiratory muscles.

During the recovery period of poliomyelitis, which lasts up to 1 year, tendon reflexes are gradually activated, movements in certain areas are restored. muscle groups. The mosaic nature of the lesion and uneven recovery causes the development of atrophy and muscle contractures, growth retardation of the affected limb, the formation of osteoporosis and bone tissue atrophy.

The residual period, or the period of residual phenomena, is characterized by the presence of persistent paresis and paralysis, accompanied by muscle atrophy and trophic disorders, development of contractures and deformation in the affected limbs and parts of the body.

Post-polio syndrome

After suffering from polio, some patients for many years(average 35 years) persist limited opportunities and a number of manifestations, the most common of which are:

progressive muscle weakness and pain;
general weakness and fatigue after minimal exertion;
muscle atrophy;
breathing and swallowing disorders;
breathing disorders during sleep, especially sleep apnea;
poor tolerance to low temperatures;
cognitive impairment - such as decreased concentration and difficulty remembering;
depression or mood swings.

Diagnostics

In the case of polio, diagnosis is based on laboratory research. In the first week of the disease, the polio virus can be isolated from nasopharyngeal secretions, and starting from the second week - from feces. Unlike other enteroviruses, the causative agent of polio can rarely be isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid.

If it is impossible to isolate and study the virus, a serological analysis is carried out, which is based on the isolation specific antibodies. This method is quite sensitive, but it does not distinguish between post-vaccination and natural infections.

Treatment

Measures against polio require mandatory hospitalization. Bed rest, painkillers and sedatives, as well as thermal procedures are prescribed.

In case of paralysis, a comprehensive rehabilitation treatment, and then maintenance treatment in sanatorium-resort areas. Complications of polio such as breathing problems require urgent measures to restore breathing and resuscitate the patient. The source of the disease must be disinfected.

Forecast for life

Mild forms of polio (without affecting the central nervous system and meningeal) pass without a trace. Severe paralytic forms can lead to permanent disability and death.

Thanks to many years of targeted vaccine prevention of polio, the structure of the disease is dominated by mild inapparent and abortive forms of infection; paralytic forms occur only in unvaccinated individuals.

Prevention

Nonspecific aimed at general strengthening organism, increasing its resistance to various infectious agents (hardening, proper nutrition, timely sanitation of chronic foci of infection, regular physical activity, optimization of the sleep-wake cycle, etc.), the fight against insects that are carriers of pathogenic microorganisms ( various types disinfestation), compliance with personal hygiene rules (primarily washing hands after going outside and after visiting the toilet), careful processing of vegetables, fruits and other products before eating them.

To prevent the development of polio, vaccination is used, which is carried out using live attenuated viruses - they cannot cause the development of the disease, but cause a specific immune response of the body with the formation of long-term stable immunity. For this purpose, in most countries of the world, anti-polio vaccination is included in the compulsory vaccination calendar. Modern vaccines are polyvalent - contain all 3 serological groups of the polio virus.

Poliomyelitis is a very rare infection today due to the use of vaccination. Despite this, isolated cases of the disease are still being recorded on the planet. Therefore, knowledge of the main symptoms and methods of prevention is simply necessary. Forewarned is forearmed!

Global number of cases

Since 1988, the number of polio cases has decreased by more than 99%. From an estimated 350,000 cases in more than 125 endemic countries to 359 cases reported in 2014. Today, only certain territories of two countries of the world remain endemic for this disease, with the minimum area in history.

Of the 3 strains of wild poliovirus (type 1, type 2 and type 3), wild poliovirus type 2 was eradicated in 1999, and the number of cases of wild poliovirus type 3 has dropped to its lowest level in history, with no cases in Nigeria since November 2012. new cases of the disease were registered.

Poliomyelitis is a disease that affects the gray matter of the spinal cord. It is often confused with ARVI. First, the temperature rises, followed by inactivity and joint pain. Paralysis subsequently develops. Poliomyelitis in children is successfully prevented using vaccines. Seeing a doctor will help your child fight the virus and stay healthy.

Poliomyelitis is an acute infectious disease severe complications, including disability and even death.

Poliomyelitis – serious illness which has severe complications, including disability and death. Most often, children under school age. The polio virus enters a child's intestines through unwashed hands. After that, it multiplies and attacks. It is common in soil, on food and in water. The methods of transmission of the virus are varied.

Treatment of polio involves only supportive procedures designed to restore damaged muscles and joints. The main method of combating the disease is prevention. The developed vaccinations prevent the development of the disease. At an early age, children are vaccinated with weakened and killed bacteria.

In the 50s of the last century, many children suffered from polio. The mortality rate was high. Those who recovered remained disabled. None of the patients survived the disease without consequences. Poliomyelitis in children is often diagnosed between 2 and 3 years of age. For decades, doctors considered the disease to be a childhood disease. Later, after several cases of illness in children of primary school age and adolescents, this theory was abandoned.

Today, medical advances make it possible to protect children from polio at an early age. Carrying out mandatory vaccination can protect children by forming lifelong immunity in them. Treatment is carried out using supportive procedures.

Poliovirus and modes of transmission

The polio virus is resistant to physical and chemical influences. It survives at temperatures of 4 degrees for several months. At a thermometer reading of 37 degrees, the virus can survive for 50-60 days. Enterovirus often lives in feces, food, milk and soil. Routes of transmission - from using shared toys to playing in the same sandbox with the patient.

Polioviruses are killed when objects are treated with disinfectants and high temperatures. They also cannot develop in the body of vaccinated children. Treatment after polio is aimed at restoring the affected limbs, rather than eliminating the virus.

You can succumb to the virus even in adulthood. It is impossible to get infected from vaccinated children. Only vaccine viruses are released from his body. The course of the disease in adulthood is more severe than in childhood. You can become infected when traveling to other countries where polio vaccination is not carried out. The routes of transmission of viruses are very diverse.

The causative agents of the disease are intestinal viruses (enteroviruses). With wastewater, the virus will enter the soil and then onto the child’s hands. It is also transmitted by a carrier or a sick person. The viability of the virus allows it to survive for a long time on food and water. It does not pose a danger to vaccinated children.

Thanks to vaccination in Russia, polio in children is not as common as, for example, in Central Asia. Treatment for polio today is not able to eliminate the cause of the disease; it concentrates more on restoring lost body functions.

The disease can also be caused by vaccination. It's called vaccine-associated polio. Signs may appear in the baby only several months after the vaccination is carried out.

Symptoms

Once in the child’s intestines, the virus is spread by blood throughout the body, including to the spinal cord and brain. During the first week, children do not show signs of polio. At this time, the enterovirus actively multiplies in the intestines.

The incubation period lasts from a week to two. Types of polio:

Paralytic is divided into bulbar, encephalitic, spinal, pontine. They all have great friend symptoms from each other.
Non-paralytic includes asymptomatic, meningeal and visceral. The routes of transmission for all these forms are practically the same.

Preparalytic stage

The course of the disease varies from severe to mild forms. On initial stage- preparalytic, the following symptoms sharply worsen:

Digestive disorders;
Increase in temperature;
Inflammation of the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract;
Headaches;
Severe fatigue;
Apathy;
Insomnia followed by drowsiness;
Pain in the legs and arms, spine.

These symptoms continue to appear for 5 days. With previous vaccination, the disease remains at this stage. For the child, this means a quick recovery. Treatment at this stage is carried out with the help of sedatives and painkillers. Later, physiotherapeutic and orthopedic treatment is carried out. In unvaccinated children, the disease is much more severe and has serious consequences.

Paralytic

At the next stage - paralytic, the child loses symptoms such as fever and muscle pain. Paresis (weakening of certain muscle groups) begins to appear, and then paralysis. The latter are characterized complete absence voluntary movements in a child. Legs are more susceptible to damage.

The deltoid muscle is immobilized, and sometimes the respiratory muscles, abs, neck and torso.

The stem form affects the muscles of the face, tongue, larynx and pharynx. Asymmetry and laxity of paralysis are the main features of the stem form of polio. Noticeable decrease general tone muscles, the appearance of dislocations and rapidly progressing atrophy.

Recovery stage

During the recovery stage, which lasts from 4 months to six months, some improvements in the child’s condition are observed. After six months, the rate of recovery slows down. TO residual effects include curvature of the spine, shortening of the limbs, muscle atrophy, and restrictions in the movement of various joints. An important stage in the fight against the disease is timely diagnosis. Unvaccinated children are more likely to develop severe consequences illness.

Consequences

After polio, children may experience symptoms such as muscle atrophy, deformation and thinning of the limbs. They can be shortened and spinal column– twisted. After 20 years of age, an adult who has previously had polio may develop post-polio syndrome.

It is characterized by the following symptoms:

Increased fatigue;
Pain in muscles and joints;
Impaired swallowing.

Diagnostics allows you to identify the disease by early stage. The mortality rate from polio ranges from 5 to 25%. One of the main disorders is damage to the respiratory muscles. It often leads to death from lack of oxygen . Deformation of the spine and limbs often causes disability. The symptoms of polio at the initial stage are not easy to recognize, so at the first suspicion you should take the baby to the hospital.

Diagnostics

Special diagnostics help identify polio in children. It is held in laboratory conditions. Basic methods:

Modified neutralization reaction - on contaminated samples, due to a change in the pH of the medium, the culture liquid changes color;
RSK – complement fixation reaction.

The virus is isolated from feces, as well as by studying nasopharyngeal swabs. Such diagnostics provide reliable information about the virus in the baby’s body.

Treatment

An antiviral agent that would be used for treatment, modern medicine has not yet developed. The main recovery course is carried out in a hospital setting. The child is isolated for 40 days. Special attention is given to the care of atrophied limbs. During the recovery period, massage, physiotherapy, and physical therapy are performed. Recovery is possible when orthopedic treatment is carried out after past illness. It focuses on the correction of deformed limbs. The identification of the disease, as well as the determination of therapeutic measures, is carried out by a neurologist. Vaccinations are the main way to avoid illness.

Preventive measures

Prevention of polio is carried out in early childhood - 3 months. are given to the baby using the live Sebin vaccine. Droplets of solution are buried in oral cavity. The procedure is carried out three times every month.

A vaccine with killed viruses is given intramuscularly. Revaccination is carried out at 18 and 20 months. Next period introduction of the vaccine - 14 years.

A weakened or killed virus, entering the body, causes a powerful response. Intensive production of antibodies occurs, forming lifelong immunity. The chance of encountering the disease in vaccinated children is extremely small. It occurs in cases where immune system greatly weakened.

Complications that the vaccine can cause include a mild skin reaction. In such cases, you should immediately consult a doctor. There are no complications during vaccination. Their chance is very small. In vaccinated children, the risk of infection is minimized. Before vaccination, a pediatrician is consulted.

Modern society actively promotes refusal to vaccinate. Allegedly, such measures only weaken and poison the child’s body. Meanwhile, childhood diseases have existed and still threaten unvaccinated children. Poliomyelitis in children is most often registered in preschool age, just at the time when its prevention is advisable. We’ll talk further about what kind of illness this is, what signs should alert parents, where to go, how to treat and protect the baby from polio.

Poliomyelitis is a disease caused by the poliovirus that affects the nervous system and is localized in gray matter spinal cord. The disease is contagious, dangerous and can lead to paralysis or even death.

Until the 20th century, the disease was an epidemic, the fight against which became possible only with the advent of a vaccine. Until then, the mortality rate was very high. Even those children who managed to recover remained disabled for the rest of their lives.

Young children are especially sensitive to all strains of this virus, although cases of infection in adults have occurred. “Infantile spinal palsy” is another name for the disease because motor neurons are affected as the infection progresses. Today, only vaccination provides lasting immunity from polio, so the possibility of becoming infected has decreased. In some Asian countries, vaccination is not carried out, and this fact threatens the modern world with outbreaks of infection.

Characteristics of the virus

Resistance of infection to chemical and physical influences very high. The virus remains viable at a temperature of 37° for two months, and low temperatures (3-4°) keep it active for a longer period. The poliovirus can be destroyed using high temperature and solutions disinfectants. The infection cannot develop in the body if the child is vaccinated.

The habitat of poliovirus is liquids, objects, soil and feces. Children can become infected through shared utensils, toys, and by eating unwashed fruits and vegetables (especially from Central Asia). But direct contact with a sick child poses an even greater threat. For example, droplets of saliva or the touch of an infected baby’s dirty hands after visiting the toilet - and the enemy has entered the body. A vaccinated child cannot become infected, just as such a baby is not at risk of infection.

But children have different susceptibility to the virus. According to statistics, 95% of babies can get sick without specific symptoms. 5% are affected respiratory system And gastrointestinal tract. And paralysis occurs in only 1% of patients.

Risk group

There are factors that increase the likelihood of poliovirus entering the body. Individual susceptibility and severity of the disease also depend on the following points:

availability surgical interventions, especially for tonsil removal;
babies with blood types 1 and 2 are more at risk;
the presence of endocrine abnormalities in the baby’s body;
children exposed to constant stress and living in unfavorable conditions;
uncontrolled consumption of sweets and easily digestible carbohydrates increases the likelihood of infection;
pesticides and insecticides that come into contact with the child’s body.

Path of the virus in the body and consequences

Symptoms and forms

The virus enters children's body through the mouth, from there to the intestines, where it actively multiplies. Together with the blood, the infection from the intestines spreads further, causing disturbances in the brain and spinal cord. Signs of a child becoming infected with polio differ depending on the form of the disease. There are two of them: paralytic and non-paralytic.

The non-paralytic form is divided into 3 types.

Asymptomatic (in-hardware) the form does not show any clinical signals. Babies with this type of disease release infection into the external environment and are dangerous for healthy children. When examining the blood of an infected child, a significant concentration of characteristic antibodies is observed. The asymptomatic form is very common.
The abortive type of polio is detected using laboratory and epidemiological studies. The symptoms are similar to simple childhood diseases and manifest themselves in increased body temperature, weakness, and malaise. Diarrhea and abdominal pain may also be present. With conventional treatment, recovery occurs within a week.
The meningeal form is similar to serous meningitis, hence the name. Immediately after infection rises high temperature, the child has a headache and vomits. Then Kernig's and Brudzinski's symptoms appear. Feeling the nerve trunks causes pain, and certain muscle groups may contract involuntarily. With adequate therapy, treatment ends within a few weeks.

There are 4 types of paralytic polio.

Spinal shape goes through 4 stages. Signs of the disease do not appear immediately, but only after 10-12 days incubation period. However, the virus at this stage is already detected in the stool. When the first signs appear, children have a high fever for 6-7 days. An infected baby often vomits, there is pain in the limbs and back, and the child sweats profusely. When the fever subsides, paralysis begins. It can affect the lower back, chest, neck. In this case, the muscles gradually atrophy, joint contracture and osteoporosis are possible, and the affected limbs may have stunted growth. The rehabilitation period after spinal poliomyelitis lasts about a year.
The pontine form affects the facial nerve, resulting in muscle paralysis. The child cannot make any facial movements.
The bulbar type of the disease affects the cranial nerves. Respiratory distress and phonation occur, and the baby cannot swallow. The disease is aggravated by deviations in vital work important organs. If everything ends well and death does not occur, then within 3 days the process will stabilize. The rehabilitation period in this case begins from the 15th day.
Bulbospinal form especially dangerous. It contains mixed symptoms of spinal and bulbar forms, when paralysis of the body occurs simultaneously with paralysis of the facial muscles, impaired breathing, swallowing, etc.

A separate type of polio - vaccine-associative. It occurs after the introduction of a vaccine and is characterized by mild symptoms. If more than 30-35 days have passed after the injection or drops and no suspicious changes are observed in the child’s condition, he is healthy. This type of disease is rare, with a probability of 1 case in 200 thousand.

Stages of the paralytic form

The paralytic form is divided into several stages that determine the course of the disease.

Preparalytic the stage lasts up to six days, accompanied by signs of intoxication and fever.
The paralytic stage is characterized by the appearance of the first paresis. On average, its duration is 2 days.
Recovery stage characterized by relief of symptoms, active recovery lasts six months, final completion is delayed for several years.
In the residual phase Residual reactions are observed, as a rule, they last more than three years.

Diagnostics

For staging correct diagnosis It is not enough to have data on the presence of specific symptoms. The final conclusion is formulated only after special analyzes.

There are two main methods of research conducted in the laboratory: virological and serological.

The first type involves the detection of infection in biological material patient, the second is to check the blood for the presence of antigens or antibodies. The infection can be isolated from stool and nasopharyngeal cavity(via washings) in the first 7 days of illness.
Serological tests are prescribed several times, each subsequent analysis is done no earlier than 14 days after the previous one. At the same time, it is important to know about fundamental differences between the post-vaccination reaction and the infection itself.

Differential diagnosis is also used based on patient complaints, comparing symptoms in children with a specific clinical form.

Treatment

After the final diagnosis of polio is made, the sick baby is isolated from healthy children. Basic therapeutic procedures are performed in conditions medical institution. A special drug that can cure the disease has not yet been developed, so treatment of polio in children comes down to symptom relief and supportive therapy.

Any form of disease requires bed rest, and when paralysis begins to increase, the child needs absolute rest. What drugs treat the disease?

At elevated temperature For headaches, dehydration therapy is carried out using Paracetamol, Ibuprofen, and Aspirin.
Gastrointestinal disorders are treated with drugs that regulate water-salt balance(“Hydrovit” or “Regidron”).
To normalize intestinal motility, laxatives are used. This may include castor oil and the drug "Lactulose".
To restore nerve conduction and muscle response, use “Dibazol”, “Proserin”.
Diazepam is prescribed as a drug that relaxes muscles and reduces anxiety, and Paroxetine is prescribed as a sedative and antidepressant.
For speedy recovery and maintenance of the body, as well as for meningoradicular syndrome, B vitamins are prescribed, but more important role plays vitamin B 12.

For polio, Diacarb is often prescribed. The medicine has a positive diuretic, decongestant, antiepileptic effect, and can also have a beneficial effect on the ventricular plexuses in the neurons of the brain.

In addition to taking medications, specialists pay considerable attention to caring for the baby’s atrophied limbs. When the recovery phase begins, damaged limbs need regular massage, physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, electrical stimulation, and UHF. Doctors prescribe physical therapy, the action of which is designed not only to develop an atrophied muscle group, but also to restore the physical functions of the body as a whole. After recovery, work begins on correcting the deformed limbs.

The paralytic form requires special care because correct position spine and limbs determines the presence or absence of complications. Problem joints are sometimes fixed with splints or orthoses, and bolsters are placed under them.

Identify signs of polio in children, diagnose the disease, prescribe therapeutic measures and restorative therapy can only be performed by a neurologist.

Folk remedies

A child with polio, along with traditional treatment recommended to use folk recipes. However, all your actions must be coordinated with your doctor. If he does not advise doing this now, then it is better to wait.

The most popular folk recipes.

At severe pain in the back, neck, shoulders, as well as persistent headaches, a bath is recommended for children. To do this, you need the child to sit in the bath with the usual water temperature (37°). After a short adaptation, the water is gradually, over 10 - 15 minutes, brought to 41°. IN hot water The baby should stay for no more than five minutes, after which he is laid on the bed, covered with a warm blanket and allowed to sweat for half an hour. For a more noticeable effect, you can give your baby linden tea before bathing.
If a child has a sore throat and the upper respiratory tract is affected, rinse medicinal sage. To do this, you need to chop the dry herb (1 tbsp) well, add a glass of water and boil in a water bath for 10 - 15 minutes. Then strain the solution, squeeze it out and let it cool a little. Gargle 2-3 times a day, an hour before meals.
Fresh juice from seed lettuce has a good effect. It is squeezed out of the plant and given to the child to drink, adding a spoonful of honey. The norm is 50 - 100 ml per day.
If the child sleeps poorly and restlessly, prepare a decoction of oregano. A teaspoon of herb is poured with boiling water and infused for an hour. Strain. Children under 5 years old are given 1 tsp. 5-6 times a day; children after five years old should be given the same amount of infusion 8-9 times a day.
Relaxing pine baths will help relieve symptoms of polio in children associated with muscle tension. To do this, pine needles (250 g) are poured with 1.5 liters of water and allowed to stand in a water bath for 15 minutes. After this, the broth is removed from the stove and allowed to brew for an hour. Strain and add to bathing water.

We remind you that the use of all means traditional medicine Be sure to check with your doctor! Poliomyelitis is serious illness, during which all your actions must be coordinated by a specialist!

Prevention

Is it possible to protect a child from polio? Currently, the only way to prevent the disease is vaccination. The first time it is carried out at two months, it is repeated two more times - at 3 and 5 months. Revaccination of children occurs at the ages of two and seven years. For this, oral drops containing a weakened virus are used, which are dropped into the baby's mouth, or an intramuscular vaccine with a killed virus.

In domestic medical practice, three vaccines have been officially tested, registered and used:

Oral. Three types are used: I, II, III. Produced in Russia.
The drug "Imovax", made in France.
"Tetracoccus". The second and third vaccines are from the same French manufacturer (Sapofi Pasteur).

As a result of the introduction of a weak or killed virus, the baby’s body begins to actively produce antibodies, which will subsequently provide immunity for life.

Vaccinated children, as a rule, do not get polio. The only exceptions can be those whose immunity is extremely weakened.

People who had contact with the infected child are under observation for 21 days. All items and personal belongings of the baby must be disinfected.

To reduce the risk of infection, you need to:

avoid contact with a sick child;
follow the rules of personal hygiene;
carry out correct heat treatment food;
help improve the baby's immunity.

About the vaccine

Most babies tolerate the injection of a killed or weakened virus well. Children can be vaccinated on the same day as DTP. The injection sites for one and the second vaccine should be different, as well as the syringes.

However, sometimes the vaccine may cause minor side effects:

redness around the injection site;
increased body temperature;
painful sensation at the injection site, possibly in the abdomen;
weakness.

It is unknown whether your child will have any reaction to the vaccine. It all depends on individual characteristics and general condition of the body.

Consequences

The most dangerous consequences carries a paralytic form of polio. Atrophied limbs and spine are not always restored. In this case, this threatens:

underdevelopment of one or two limbs;
visible kyphosis;
deformation of bone tissue;
blocking the motor function of a limb;
problems with speech, swallowing.

Poliomyelitis in children, which occurs in mild forms, after recovery can remind of itself:

flaccid, weak muscles;
respiratory and heart failure;
increased fatigue;
shortness of breath;
periodic muscle pain.

The tricky thing about the disease is that sometimes childhood polio causes complications in adolescence and adulthood. This is due to the fact that nerve tissue still contains the virus (albeit in a latent state), and all this time there was a process of gradual destruction of neurons.

Many scientists in laboratories worked to create a vaccine that could prevent polio, a disease that, if it did not kill, then crippled small patients for the rest of their lives. Currently, the prevention of polio in children consists of vaccination. Pediatricians insist on this not because it is customary, but for the reason that it will really protect the child. I am glad that most parents still bring their children for vaccination. Whereas those who write a refusal simply do not understand the seriousness of the consequences of their action. After all, no one knows what a child will do when he grows up, what countries he will have to visit and what people he will communicate with. But in some countries children are not vaccinated at all! Therefore, it is better to ensure lifelong immunity from polio by getting vaccinated in childhood.

Resume

Poliomyelitis is a severe childhood infection that attacks the nervous system and can lead to disability. The advent of a vaccine is a breakthrough in the field of healthcare and the only opportunity to protect a child from the disease. Timely visits to the doctor and compliance with the vaccination schedule are the key to peace of mind for parents and the baby. No matter what they say about the dangers of vaccinations, it is thanks to them that since 1997 not a single strain of the polio virus has been identified in the country.

The diagnosis of “poliomyelitis” – disease code according to ICD 10 A80 – is extremely rare in modern medical practice. Most often, the term is familiar to the average person by the name planned mandatory vaccinations according to National calendar preventive vaccinations. But less than half a century ago, the disease was relevant and affected a significant percentage of children under 5 years of age. What is this infection, how did you manage to cope with it, and what are the morbidity forecasts, taking into account the progressive “fashion” for refusing vaccinations?

If more than 25% die nerve cells, paralysis develops. The dead tissue is subsequently replaced by glial tissue, turning into scar tissue. The spinal cord decreases in size, and the muscles whose innervation has been disrupted atrophy.

Epidemiology: how polio is transmitted

The Poliovirus hominis virus is widespread, and given its persistence in the external environment, outbreaks of the disease acquire the character of an epidemic, especially in the autumn-summer time. For regions with tropical climates it is typical high level incidence throughout the year.

The method of transmission of infection is mostly fecal-oral, when the pathogen enters the body through contaminated hands, objects, and food. The smallest (first months of life) children are practically immune to the virus, since the transplacental immunity received from the mother is effective. In more late age(up to 7 years) the risk of infection is very high.

Contagious viral infection The disease is considered to be polio in children, which causes them to have problems with the respiratory and nervous systems. The disease is also dangerous because paralysis or even death of the patient can occur.

This disease is quite insidious: in 95% of cases it is asymptomatic, and in the remaining 5%, children infected with polio may experience mild symptoms.

Nonparalytic polio in children

Non-paralytic poliomyelitis is the initial form of the disease with such characteristic symptoms, How:

The child loses his appetite;
Feels constant fatigue, weakness;
Elevated temperature reaching 40°C;
Head and leg muscles often hurt;
Nausea and vomiting.

Over the course of ten or more days, the symptoms of polio in children gradually disappear, but in in rare cases they are observed much longer. If the child’s nervous system has been affected, he will have a fever and a severe headache.

The child becomes emotionally unstable, more nervous, often irritated, and his mood constantly changes. In the area cervical spine and numbness appears in the back, which may indicate the development of meningitis.

Abortive form

Sick children with abortive polio may complain that they have a headache, weakness throughout the body, pain in the navel, vomiting, coughing, liquid discharge from the nose. Subsequently, intestinal cholera-like toxicosis, catarrhal tonsillitis, enterocolitis, and gastroenteritis may be observed.

Paralytic form

According to doctors, one of the severe forms The disease is considered to be paralytic poliomyelitis. From the onset of infection with the virus to the moment when signs of polio in children have already appeared, it often takes up to one week, and in advanced cases– up to five weeks.

At the initial stage, children experience convulsive painful contractions in the muscles, motor weakness with an asymmetrical nature, and an increase in temperature to high levels. At further progression The disease most affects the lower extremities.

With this form of the disease, constant, clearly noticeable, pronounced fasciculations are observed upon palpation. Sick children also complain that they feel a tingling sensation in their legs, like needles, and numbness.

The paralysis lasts for several weeks, and then the baby’s health will begin to recover, or he will last up to several years with severe deformation, the limbs atrophy, and the spine is bent. In this case, the child may be given a disability group.

Meningeal form

With meningeal poliomyelitis, the child has a severe headache, squeezing the temples, a gag reflex, and insomnia. The gastrointestinal tract and upper respiratory tract are also affected.

Spinal poliomyelitis

The most common form of the disease in children younger age is a spinal poliomyelitis caused by sluggishly developed atrophic paralysis of the respiratory muscles, lower limbs, less often hands. Paralysis in this form of polio is uneven and asymmetrical. It is dangerous when polio in a baby is reflected by pain in the neck and chest area, since the diaphragm is affected and the normal breathing rhythm is disrupted.

After the virus infects the body, paralysis may appear within a few days, and atrophy will occur within two weeks. Hit harder receive proximal parts of the extremities, in which they cease to be observed tendon reflexes, muscle hypotonia and the presence of osteoporosis are revealed.

If within a week the body does not recover from the spinal form of polio, then there is no hope for further full recovery. The child will be severely delayed in growth.

Pontine form

In potninous poliomyelitis, the nucleus of the facial nerve is severely affected. There is asymmetry of the face, a lag in the corner of the mouth, facial expressions are greatly distorted, the eyelids do not close completely, and the nasolabial fold is smooth. This form of polio differs from others in that children do not experience lacrimation and hyperacusis, and taste sensitivity does not disappear.

Bulbar form

Pediatricians consider bulbar polio to be one of the most severe forms of polio. It proceeds very aggressively:

With it, poor mobility of the soft palate is observed;
When drinking liquid, the baby may choke or it may leak through the nose;
IN respiratory tract mucus collects;
The swallowing reflex decreases;
Hoarseness of voice appears;
The nuclei of the cranial nerves are affected;
There is an excited state, a pathological rhythm of the respiratory system;
Hyperthermia.

With this form of the disease, on the first or second day it is possible death. Significant changes may also affect cardiovascular system. Increased blood pressure, cardiac dysfunction, myocardial dystrophy, gastric distension and bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract are observed.

How is polio transmitted?

When infected with the virus, symptoms of polio in children may not be expressed. Why can a child get polio? There are several infection options:

By airborne droplets. Infection occurs through breathing when the polio virus enters the lungs in suspension;
By water. When drinking untreated water, the virus can enter the body;
Contact-household way. With this method, a child becomes infected when he eats food from the same plate with a contact person;
By nutritional route. Unwashed fruits and berries are eaten.

What symptoms of polio can a child have?

Poliomyelitis can have symptoms of varying severity or not show them at all. Each child experiences this disease differently. It all depends on the form of the disease.

Poliomyelitis is a serious disease that, in some cases, can cause paralysis or even death in infected babies (about 1% of cases). The polio virus can affect not only young children, but also adults.

Different forms of the disease can cause symptoms in the patient that are closely similar to the flu, such as a gag reflex, fever, diarrhea, fatigue, and a sore throat in the baby. The most sad consequences can be with polio with paralytic aggravations, when the polio microorganism attacks nerve endings, which control the process of muscle work. In this case, the patient's death may occur.

Depending on how the disease progresses, how much the body is poisoned by intoxication, and the severity of the illness, it will depend on exactly what signs of polio will appear in children.

Treatment of polio

If primary symptoms are detected in a child, the pediatrician may suspect he has polio. For example, a baby experiences numbness in the lower extremities, poor mobility of the occipital and neck muscles, it’s hard for him to breathe, elevated body temperature, painful to swallow, abnormal bowel movements, vomiting and other symptoms.

If there is a suspicion that the baby has become infected with polio, the doctor will order tests to detect antibodies to the polio virus. Poliomyelitis is difficult to treat, so preventive vaccination is necessary. It will help develop immunity in the child to the polio virus.

Today there is no such drug that could completely cope with this disease. The prescribed therapy can only support the patient’s body weakened by polio. The main goal of treatment is to prevent the development serious complications.

Vaccinations against infection

Today, many parents are afraid of vaccination, because they do not know what complications there may be after vaccination with polio in children, and how this will affect their health in the future. Immunology does not stand still; two types of vaccines have been invented:

The inactivated vaccine consists of dead strains of the polio virus. After receiving the injection, the body begins to produce antibodies. The injection is given into the muscle of the arm or leg.

Live vaccine is a less resistant strain of the polio virus. This medicine is administered to the baby in the form of drops. pink color under the tongue.

Doctors still cannot come to a consensus which vaccine is better tolerated by the human body. All children have different reactions to medications. For example, if a child suffers allergic reaction, it is not recommended for him to receive a live vaccine, since it contains chicken protein.

If the baby has no contraindications for vaccination, then he will be administered two drugs at once. The first two vaccinations will be an inactivated vaccine, and the subsequent ones will be a live vaccine. The state provides this immunization for children free of charge.

Features of vaccination during an epidemic

Modern mothers often ask pediatricians whether a vaccinated child can get polio during an epidemic, and what consequences he faces. Every mother wants only health for her child.

Relatives and the state are jointly responsible for the emergence of an epidemiological situation. Doctors do not particularly conduct an explanatory policy, and parents, due to a lack of understanding of the severity of the disease, often refuse to vaccinate their children for prevention. In addition, the quality of the proposed vaccine is unknown.

If your child is not vaccinated promptly, he or she may become infected with the polio virus and also put other children at risk of infection, since the disease can often be asymptomatic. What to do if an epidemiological situation arises? Let's consider the algorithm of correct actions:

1. First of all, the child must be given an inactivated vaccine, if it has not been given previously;

2. If the child has already been vaccinated, then during the epidemic, in order not to become infected with polio again, he is given a live oral vaccine in the form of drops. Vaccination is carried out three times with an interval of one month between each;

3. If vaccination is carried out for the first time, then it is necessary to administer the inactivated vaccine to the child two times in a row (with a one-month break between them). During this time, the body will have time to develop immunity to the live polio virus. The third vaccination is droplets.

What are the complications after vaccination?

For the most part, immediately after vaccination, children feel quite normal. The vaccination takes place without any serious complications and does not cause harm to the children’s health. The risks are extremely small, but some changes in the body may be observed:

After receiving an injection of an inactivated vaccine, the injection site may hurt;
If drops are introduced into the mouth, the child may have a short-term increase in body temperature and a stomach ache. Already on the second day, the symptoms of the consequences after the vaccination disappear;
Quite rarely after vaccination they may appear false symptoms polio in children, for example the paralytic form. The percentage of such a complication is one child in 1000.

Diet for polio

The patient is prescribed a specially selected dietary diet. It directly depends on the transferred form of polio. If the disease occurs in an abortive form, then intestinal function is disrupted. Most likely, the child suffers from diarrhea.

In this case, his table should consist of such products as meat puree, boiled fish, low-fat cottage cheese, porridge, steamed cutlets. With diarrhea, a person loses a lot of fluid, so it is necessary to give the patient a sufficient amount of fluid, for example, dried compotes, juices.

If polio in children occurs in a paralytic form, then constipation may occur. In this case, the diet must include wholemeal bread, vegetable dishes, berries, fruits, fermented milk products, and seaweed.

Traditional medicine for polio

Poliomyelitis is a serious (mostly childhood) disease, the treatment of which must be strictly under the supervision of a doctor. Drug treatment can be combined with traditional medicine methods, but not instead of it. Let's look at some recipes that will help restore the body after illness:

1. Rosehip decoction. Pour 1 tbsp of boiling water over a glass. well dried rose hips. Let this mixture sit for half an hour and strain. Drink three times, divide evenly. The product helps strengthen the immune system;

2. Aloe extract. For polio, you can give injections with aloe according to the following scheme: one injection every 4-5 days, repeat five times. Take a break for two weeks and repeat the same pattern again. You should consult a doctor to avoid overdose;

3. To reduce fever at elevated temperatures, it is recommended to drink cherry juice;

4. Honey drink. Heat water slightly (one liter), add 1 tbsp. May honey, drink at one time. Repeat the procedure three times during the day. Healing drink will help in the fight against intestinal infections;

5. Herbal infusions from mint, St. John's wort, nettle, yarrow. 1 tbsp. Pour boiling water over this mixture, leave, cool and drink at once. This infusion will also help in the fight against E. coli.

It is important to remember that after suffering from polio (not everyone), post-polio syndrome may occur. It can appear after an illness and after ten years, not necessarily immediately. The exact reason for this phenomenon is unknown to medicine.