The doctor answers

All my friends' children have had pneumonia at least once. They say this is a common problem for young children. Is this true? Is there really no way to warn her? And if the baby gets sick, how to treat it correctly?

Pediatrician
Olesya Butuzova, Moscow

Pneumonia in babies

All my friends' children have had pneumonia at least once. They say this is a common problem for young children. Is this true? Is there really no way to warn her? And if the baby gets sick, how to treat it correctly?
Rita, Ostashkov

Pneumonia, unfortunately, is quite often observed in children of the first year of life. Therefore, it is very important for parents to know as much as possible about the disease in order to be able to provide their children with the necessary help.

Why is pneumonia so common in children?

There are several answers to this question.

The airways of infants are short, so inflammation from the bronchi quickly reaches the lungs. In addition, the ribs of babies are located horizontally, which is why the lungs are not supplied with sufficient oxygen, and this contributes to the development of pneumonia. Since babies spend most of their time in a horizontal position, blood stagnates in the lower parts of the lungs, which creates a good background for the growth and reproduction of bacteria. Improper care, artificial feeding, acute respiratory infections and rickets can also be considered fertile ground for the development of pneumonia in infants.

Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs in a baby, which most often develops gradually. The children begin to eat and sleep worse, become capricious and cry.

Mothers note pale skin of the baby, increased anxiety and regurgitation. Nasal congestion, sneezing and coughing are also observed. The temperature may remain normal or rise to low-grade levels (37–37.5 degrees).

If the baby does not receive quality treatment, his condition worsens - shortness of breath, cyanosis (blue discoloration of the skin) of the nasolabial triangle appears, and bowel movements are disrupted.

To diagnose the disease, the doctor uses a regular phonendoscope, carefully listening to all parts of the lungs for the presence of pathological wheezing. To confirm the diagnosis, a chest x-ray is performed.

Depending on the condition of the child and the severity of the disease, treatment of pneumonia can be carried out at home or in a hospital. In any case, therapy should be carried out under the supervision of specialists, and self-medication is unacceptable and extremely dangerous for the baby’s life!

The main drugs for treating pneumonia are antibiotics. Drugs that thin the mucus and stimulate its release are also prescribed. And also antiallergic drugs and medications that increase antiviral immunity.

It is very important to know how to treat the disease. But it is also important to know how to prevent pneumonia in babies. The following activities will help with this.

Long-term breastfeeding, because with mother's milk the baby receives protection factors and immunity.

A restorative massage from a professional massage therapist.

Daily dynamic gymnastics, which a mother can and should do with her baby, after consulting with a specialist.

Hardening increases immunity and reduces children's susceptibility to infections.

During epidemics of ARVI and influenza, it is recommended to keep the child away from crowded places.


Cosmetologist
Maria Galuzova, Moscow

Neck disguise

I heard that a woman’s neck is the first thing that ages – it shows all her age in full view, so many people begin to cover this problem area with scarves, scarves, stand-up collars, even beads. Is it possible to somehow delay the sagging of the neck, otherwise I really love low-cut outfits?
Marina, 30 years old, Moscow

Daily exercises will help you strengthen your neck muscles and keep your skin toned. Pull out your lips and say “O-U-I” with force. Do you feel the latissimus muscle tightening? So you are on the right track!

The second exercise is no less effective. Place one hand on your chest, below your collarbone, and the other on your chin. Forcefully lower the corners of your mouth down; your palms should feel the tension in your neck muscles. Alternately tense and relax your muscles.
Contrast compresses tone the skin very well. Prepare two bowls - one with hot and the other with cold water and ice cubes. Dissolve sea salt in hot water. First, dip the napkin in a container of cold water, wring it out and place it on your neck. After a minute, replace the cool compress with a hot one. This alternation should be carried out for 5–10 minutes. Then pat your skin dry with a towel and apply nourishing cream to it.

Self-massage also does not require much effort or expense, and the result is very good, see for yourself! Using the palms of both hands, stroke your neck from bottom to top for 1–2 minutes. Then tilt your head back and use your fingers to draw small spirals from your chin to the center of your neck. Then increase the diameter of the spirals and run them all over your neck. The side surfaces of the neck should be stroked in the direction from the earlobe to the shoulder, and with the left palm - the right half and vice versa. The massage ends with light stroking with your palms.

When rubbing your face with ice cubes, which you should do 1-2 times a week, don’t forget about your neck. The icy touch invigorates and tones the skin, while herbs frozen in ice smooth out wrinkles and give your neck a blooming appearance.

Neck masks

A potato mask has long proven itself to be effective in prolonging the youth and beauty of the neck. To prepare it, mash two boiled warm potatoes, add the yolk and 1 tsp.
glycerin, olive oil and honey. Mix everything well and apply the resulting mixture to the skin for 20–25 minutes. Then carefully remove the mask and rinse your skin with warm water.

You can also mix rye flour, honey, yolk and olive oil. Spread the sweet dough evenly over the neck and leave for 30 minutes. Then rinse with warm water and pat the skin dry with a towel. This mask nourishes the skin, smoothes out fine wrinkles and makes the surface smooth and velvety.

Pediatrician
Alina Eremeeva
Ph.D., Associate Professor MMA named after. Sechenova, HiPP expert

Tea with milk: to drink or not to drink?

I heard that according to the latest theories, it is not recommended to drink tea with milk (cream), especially at night. It seems that this is very harmful for blood vessels (cholesterol “sticks” to the blood vessels). Our whole family loves this tea at night, especially the children. And then, what about the English tradition? What should I do, change my habit?
Karina, Moscow

A good habit should not be changed! A mixture of tea infusion with milk is a nutritious, easily digestible drink that has both stimulating and strengthening qualities. In addition, tea makes milk easier to digest. Vegetable fats and proteins present in the tea solution, when mixed with animal fats and milk proteins, create a particularly nutritious and healthy fat-protein complex. Not to mention the fact that a rather impressive set of vitamins and stimulants is added to it. At the same time, milk softens the effect of caffeine and other alkaloids, while tea makes the gastric mucosa less susceptible to the negative effects of fermentation of whole milk.

Tea with milk is a good preventive measure. This drink is especially useful for diseases of the kidneys and heart, and also as a tonic for dystrophies, depletion of the central nervous system and polyneuritis.

Tea with milk is not harmful to blood vessels, since in combination with milk it retains its beneficial property of maintaining the elasticity of blood vessels.

If the tea used in combination with milk is not brewed well, you can drink it at night, but if you suffer from insomnia, it is better to refrain from drinking this drink, because. the tonic properties of tea are preserved.

Tea with milk can be given to children after 1 year. The tea should be loosely brewed, and the milk should be boiled, with a fat content of 2.5% to 3.2%.