Swollen lymph nodes in children

If a child has swollen lymph nodes in his or her intestines, this condition is called mesenteric lymphadenopathy. Moreover, mesenteric lymph node enlargement is a gastrointestinal disease that is particularly common in children, and mesenteric lymph node enlargement can cause abdominal pain, nausea, etc. Therefore, parents are very worried about their children's mesenteric lymphadenopathy. How should they treat children's intestinal lymphadenopathy?

Mesenteric lymphadenopathy

Mesenteric lymphadenopathy is a common disease in babies under 7 years old. When their babies encounter this condition, many parents are at a loss as to what to do. Today we will learn about some symptoms of mesenteric lymphadenitis in babies.

Criteria for lymphadenopathy

There is currently no unified standard in China for judging lymph node enlargement. However, most domestic scholars believe that if more than three lymph nodes appear in one section in the internal mesenteric region, and the longest diameter of the largest lymph node is >1.0 cm, the short diameter is >0.5 cm, and the long diameter/short diameter is >2, this situation can be determined as lymphadenopathy.

Conditions that must be met for the diagnosis of lymphadenitis

First, it has common symptoms of lymphadenitis such as fever, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting;

Second, go to the hospital for an examination and have imaging examination to prove lymph node enlargement;

Third, if there was a history of upper respiratory tract infection before the onset of the disease, a routine blood test would show that the white blood cell count was normal or slightly elevated, and other causes of mesenteric lymphadenitis such as appendicitis and intussusception could be ruled out.

Causes of mesenteric lymphadenopathy

If parents have taken their babies to a pediatric clinic, they may find that the incidence of mesenteric lymph node enlargement is very high, especially in winter and spring. So, what are the reasons that cause babies to suffer from this disease?

First, reactive swelling

Children's gastrointestinal function is relatively fragile, and they are prone to intestinal and extraintestinal diseases or infections due to eating allergic, too hard, too cold foods, which can eventually lead to swollen lymph nodes.

Second, respiratory tract infection

After a respiratory tract infection, viruses, bacteria or toxins will reach the lymph nodes along the child's blood circulation, eventually leading to enlargement of the lymph nodes.

Third, Salmonella infection

Mesenteric lymph node enlargement caused by Salmonella infection is more serious and may also lead to acute inflammatory response, bleeding and necrosis in the lymph nodes.

The above are the common causes of mesenteric lymphadenopathy in children. Parents should not give their babies medication casually before confirming the cause of the disease. At the same time, they should also pay attention to regular diet to avoid aggravating the baby's condition.

How to treat mesenteric lymphadenopathy

Mesenteric lymphadenopathy is a common disease in children. The most common symptom is abdominal pain. There are many causes of it, and different causes require different treatments. However, many parents are not aware of this and end up using medication indiscriminately. How to treat mesenteric lymphadenitis in children?

Mesenteric lymphadenitis or swollen lymph nodes is mostly caused by viral infection, but there is no specific medicine for viral infection. That is to say, no special treatment is needed, just avoid colds and strengthen the baby's physique.

If your baby is diagnosed with lymphadenopathy caused by moderate to severe bacterial infection, antibiotics should not be abused, otherwise it may easily cause harm to the baby's body. At this time, conservative treatment can be adopted, first fasting, and then intravenous infusion and antibiotic treatment under the guidance of a doctor.

If the baby's swollen lymph nodes have not improved after the above treatment, the doctor may recommend surgical exploration to see if it is peritonitis or abscess caused by Salmonella infection. If confirmed, surgery will be required for drainage.