Immunodeficiency in sick children

This is an automatically translated article.

1. What is immunodeficiency?

The immune system is the line of defense that helps protect the body, a barrier against invading agents including bacteria, viruses or parasites. A healthy immune system will help the body repel the invasion of harmful agents, thereby preventing many diseases. The body will develop healthy thanks to the proliferative effect of B lymphocytes (humoral immunity) and T lymphocyte proliferation (cell immunity).
A weakened immune system is related to many causes, including primary and secondary causes.
Primary immunodeficiency is a genetic defect (lymphocyte germ cell disorder, phagocytic system defect, impaired B or T cell function, complement disorder, etc.) ) makes the baby's body weak from birth. Children will be sensitive to many different infectious agents and not able to fight pathogens such as viruses, bacteria,... Therefore, children are susceptible to immunodeficiency diseases, severe infections , persistent, recurrent episodes.
Secondary immunodeficiency is usually due to diseases present in normally healthy children. In addition, external causes such as X-ray radiation, glucocorticoid use, cytostatic treatment, trauma, surgical intervention, ... can also cause children to have secondary immunodeficiency. In addition, children with diabetes, sickle cell anemia, protein-energy malnutrition, ... also weaken the immune system, the child's resistance is not enough to fight pathogens. .

2. Children often get sick - possibly due to a weakened immune system

Immunodeficiency weakens the child's resistance and makes them sick more often. Therefore, if children often get sick, parents need to be alert because they may have congenital immunodeficiency syndrome. If the child has one of the following signs of an immunodeficiency disease, parents should take the child to a specialist facility immediately for examination:
Having at least 4 episodes of ear infections within 1 year; Having at least 2 or more episodes of pneumonia within 1 year; Having at least 2 or more severe episodes of sinusitis within 1 year; Children are slow to grow up and gain weight slower than normal; Using antibiotics to treat children over 2 months but not effective; Children with recurrent skin or visceral abscesses; Children with persistent tinea or oral thrush; The child must receive antibiotics to treat infections; The child has at least 2 episodes of deep infection or sepsis or more; Family history of immunocompromised. Doctors recommend: Early diagnosis is the most important factor for highly effective treatment of congenital immunodeficiency syndrome. Usually, to treat some congenital immunodeficiency diseases, the doctor may assign patients a bone marrow transplant or infusion of immune products. If a child is diagnosed before 6 months of age and undergoes a bone marrow transplant, the chance of a cure can be up to 95%. For children with mild disease, if they receive regular immunizations, they can still lead a normal life.
Parents need to be alert to the risk of immunodeficiency in children who are often sick. If a child is found to have warning signs of a weakened immune system, parents should take the child to a doctor immediately for timely detection and treatment, improving the chances of curing the disease.
With many years of experience in examining and treating diseases in children, now the Pediatrics Department at Vinmec International General Hospital has become one of the major health care centers, capable of examining , screening and treatment of many specialized diseases in children. Therefore, if the child shows signs of immunodeficiency, the child is prone to minor illnesses or relapses, parents can take the child to Vinmec International General Hospital for examination and receive support and advice from doctors. doctors and medical professionals.

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