Pediatric Immunology (Pediatric Immunologist)
The formation of the child’s immune system starts before the birth, in the mother’s womb. Many important factors influencing on the child’s health indicators after his or her birth depend on the functioning of the immune system and child’s immune defense. Our specialists have plenty of expertise in studying of defense reaction of the child's body: we use modern therapeutic methods and the most advanced medical techniques for diagnostics and treatment of children’s immunological diseases.
Who is the pediatric immunologist?
A pediatric immunologist provides aid to the children from birth until the age of 18, as the immune system structure and its functions are developed within the whole life of a child, from birth until the end puberty.
A pediatric immunologist performs diagnostics and treatment of various disorders of functioning of the child’s immune system. Such disorders manifest as various diseases, pathological states, namely, external and internal reactions of the child’s body.
Pediatric immunologist treats the following:
- Immunodeficiencies-related diseases
- Allergic reactions
- Hereditary and chronic diseases (that cause weakening of the body's defenses of a child)
For example, children with both frequent infections and their strange development have to be referred to the immunologist.
Therefore, babies often have candidiasis provoked with a fungus within the first days or weeks of their lives. It can be determined with a slight plaque on the tongue or on the mucous membrane of the mouth. If there is a massive mycotic infection, and baby’s mucous membrane of mouth, lips, anus and vagina (girls) is significantly affected, a pediatric physician will obligatorily refer the baby to a pediatric immunologist.
When selecting a therapeutic regimen for your child, our doctors will take into account all the characteristics of his or her immune system. Our doctors DO NOT prescribe either immunomodulators, which are medications without proven efficiency, or abstract tests such as the study of immunity, etc.
Formation of prevention programs, diagnostics of diseases and choice of a therapeutic method at Dobrobut takes place only according to the principles of evidence-based medicine.
In most cases, you should visit a pediatric immunologist if you have following symptoms:
- Frequent generalized allergic reactions of a child
- Immunodeficiencies appeared within the first months of the child’s life
- Frequent tonsillitides, otitis, stomatitis
- Your pediatric physician suspects the development of an autoimmune disease of a child
- A child has a bad reaction on a vaccination.
When you should see a pediatric immunologist urgently
Some health conditions or symptoms of a child require an urgent visit to a pediatric immunologist.
Pay attention to the following moments and seek medical advice urgently if:
- A little child had a pneumonia twice or even more times
- A child had osteomyelitis, visceral abscess, meningitis, phlegmon, sepsis or invasive mycosis
- There are no so-called lucid intervals between the disease episodes, in other words, there is no complete recovery
- Chronic otitis, bronchitis, sinusitis often relapse (more than 3 times)
- It was revealed that a child has bronchiectasis: defective expansion of airways
- Multiple infection processes on the skin: two or more furuncles, abscesses (purulent skin lesions), whitlow (suppurative inflammation of finger soft tissues), etc.
- The baby’s umbilical wound heals badly or the umbilical stump does not come off
- A phthisiatrician confirmed difficulties with BCG vaccination
- Recurrent candidiasis of oral cavity, stomatitis (not related to mechanical or chemical injuries), onychomycosis (nail mycotic infection) of a child older than 3 months
- There is no effect after the traditional treatment of pneumonia (interstitial pneumonia)
- A child has intractable diarrhea with malabsorption syndrome that means nutrient uptake abnormality
- Hematological disorders are revealed: thrombocytopenia (less than 70,000 / mm3) and/or their small size (less than 7fl), neutropenia (less than 1,000 / mm3), lymphopenia (absolute count is less than 2,000 / mm3), eosonophilia (more than 500 / mm3).
- Body temperature often rises up to 38˚C and higher for no apparent cause. At this, an inflammatory process is revealed in the child’s blood (leucocytosis, ESR, C-reactive protein growth).
- Skin and mucous membranes constantly swell for no apparent cause and without any inflammatory processes
- There are starburst veins (telangiectasia)
- A child has the cerebellar ataxia: gait disorder confirmed by a neurologist, microcephaly (small head circumference).
- A child has a congenital heart disease that is developed against the background of convulsions and hypocalcemia (decrease of calcium level in the blood plasma) lasting for 3 weeks and more.
- Parents or close relatives also have a diagnosed immunodeficiency
- There were cases of early deaths of children, especially boys, in the family or by close relatives.
Immunity types
Human immune system consists of organs and tissues the main task of which is to develop various cells and antibodies. It is important for parents to have an idea of it, at least, on the whole. So, the immunity can be inborn (nonspecific) and acquired (specific). Inborn immunity steps in when an organism is combating, for example, with inflammatory processes.
Speaking of acquired immunity, an organism begins to develop antibodies to combat pathogenic agents that have got into the organism, for example, in case of ARVI, flu. Induced immunity is developed with vaccinations: vaccination helps to protect a child from many serious diseases the child’s organism is unable to cope with by itself. That is why an immunologist controls the compliance with children’s vaccination schedule.
Consultation
Our immunologists will assess the ability of your organism to resist infections, will help to resolve immunodeficiency problems, prescribe a correct treatment, keep to a minimum the development of autoimmune diseases of a little child, etc.
Diagnostics
You do not have to undergo any tests before a visit to an immunologist. A pediatric immunologist will define the required diagnostic examinations based on the individual state of your child. A doctor determines if a child needs specific diagnostic methods showing where the immune system has broken down in any given case.
Treatment
Using diagnostic tests, a doctor will see what type of treatment will be more effective for your child. When treating rare forms of primary immunodeficiencies, we refer a child to the specialized pediatric immunology center after having determined a precise diagnosis.
Secondary immunodeficiencies are well correctable, it is important to diagnose a disease right.
If an immunologist sees that test results, clinical picture, current state of a little patient, course of the disease get in line, he or she prescribes corresponding medications.
The major part of immunodeficiencies and even some types of primary immunodeficiencies are treated in an outpatient unit or in a hospital.
When selecting a therapeutic regimen for your child, our doctors will take into account all the characteristics of his or her immune system. Our doctors DO NOT prescribe either immunomodulators, which are medications without proven efficiency, or abstract tests such as the study of immunity, etc.
Formation of prevention programs, diagnostics of diseases and choice of a therapeutic method at Dobrobut takes place only according to the principles of evidence-based medicine.
A pediatric immunologist will help to reveal the following problems of your child:
- Primary immunodeficiencies
Primary immune deficiency disease of children are rather rare, such babies are born with a genetic inability to protect the organism from infections. These children cannot do without constant medical aid, and their parents have to adhere to the special hygienic requirements. Festering skin diseases of little children, for example, furuncles that require visiting a surgeon and opening, indicate that the child’s immune system is underperforming. This includes the combination of severe allergic reactions against the background of an infection. All these symptoms can indicate that the immune system is underperforming.
- Secondary immunodeficiencies
Secondary immunodeficiencies of children are not so pronounced as the primary ones, and are caused by various factors. A child’s immune system disorder may be provoked not only with an infection that weakens the body's defenses. Environmental situation, medications that parents often give to a baby without doctor’s prescription, malnutrition, vitamin deficiency, climate, stress situations, etc. also influence on the state of immunity.
- Non-observance of the vaccination scheme
