What is lymph node in children?

We all call children the flowers of the motherland. Children are very important to any family. Many children have poor resistance and are particularly prone to catching colds. Some are prone to upper respiratory tract infections, and some are also prone to swollen lymph nodes. Often, because we don’t know much about swollen lymph nodes, parents always feel particularly worried and afraid. Let’s learn about what is going on with children’s lymph nodes.

Lymph nodes are a component of the human lymphatic system. Their main function is to produce lymphocytes, which serve as the body's defense barrier, blocking and phagocytizing pathogens and preventing the spread of diseases. The child's lymphatic system is still in the development stage for at least 10 years after birth. Lymph nodes are usually not palpable in neonates, but in infants and young children

Individual lymph nodes the size of mung beans to soybeans can often be felt superficially under the neck, under the jaw, behind the occipital bone, in front of the ears, and in the groin. This is not a disease and does not require treatment. When children pass puberty, most normal lymph nodes will naturally shrink and become less noticeable. ?

Since the lymph nodes' ability to fight infection is limited, children's lymph nodes will swell when the infection is severe. If the lymph nodes are slightly enlarged and there is no obvious tenderness, it means that the lymphatic system is sufficient to resist the invasion of pathogens and the infection can be controlled by its own resistance, so there is no need to give antibiotic treatment. The misuse of antibiotics not only easily causes an imbalance in the normal bacterial flora of the human body, but also because the child's immune system lacks the stimulation of the appropriate amount of pathogens, it is not conducive to the improvement of its immune function, and ultimately weakens the child's own disease resistance. ?

As for enlarged lymph nodes in young children, as long as it can be determined to be physiological, there is no need to worry that it will have adverse effects on the child's body, and there is no need to take precautions. But this does not mean that parents can just ignore swollen lymph nodes in children, because in addition to the physiological lymph node enlargement mentioned above and the lymph node enlargement caused by acute lymphadenitis, lymph node tuberculosis can also cause lymph node enlargement. These enlarged lymph nodes are commonly found under the neck and jaw. They are multiple, hard in texture, of varying sizes, and may adhere to each other in the shape of beads. After the lymphatic tissue becomes necrotic, it may rupture and form a fistula. ?

In addition, parents should pay enough attention to swollen lymph nodes throughout the body, because it may be a manifestation of scurvy, leukemia, lymphoma, infectious diseases (such as rubella), hemolytic anemia and other diseases. At this time, in addition to swollen lymph nodes, the child should also have symptoms such as fever, weight loss, bleeding, and anemia. ?

In short, if parents find that their children have swollen lymph nodes, they should neither panic too much nor take it lightly. It is best to take the child to the hospital for relevant examinations to determine its nature.

After understanding what is going on with lymph nodes in young children, parents should not worry too much if their baby has such symptoms. First of all, they should consult a doctor for treatment in time. At the same time, our daily care for the baby is also very important. We should add or remove clothes for the baby according to the weather conditions, and take the baby to the outdoors more often and get more sun exposure to effectively improve the body's immunity.