Acetone in the urine of a child

Each parent carefully monitors the health of his baby. However, even the most anxious attitude does not exclude the possibility of a child developing a disease. In particular, one of the most common problems faced by modern parents is the increase in the level of acetone in the urine.

To detect acetone in the urine of a child, doctors can accidentally, because initially symptoms of a pathological condition may not be observed. However, without treatment, the problem is exacerbated and can threaten not only the health, but even the lives of children, so when the first symptoms of acetonuria( as in medical terminology is called increased acetone in the urine), you should immediately consult a doctor who prescribes treatment.

The main causes of the disease

The mechanism of the disease consists in the breakdown of proteins and fats with the formation of ketone bodies and their accumulation in the blood of children. Subsequently, the blood is filtered by the kidneys and ketonuria develops. The condition is extremely dangerous for the child, since the ketones

have a negative effect on the body cells, including the brain cells , lead to the development of metabolic acidosis, because of which the child can fall into a coma and die.

Parents often wonder why their baby has increased acetone. This condition has different causes, but one of the most common is the decrease in the concentration of glucose in the blood, which is due to metabolic disorders. In particular, glucose concentration may decrease due to prolonged fasting , when the body loses useful substances.

Diabetes is also one of the most common causes of ketones in the urine of children, because in this disease, the absorption of glucose is impaired, because the body lacks insulin. And another cause the appearance of ketone bodies in the urine in children may be an unbalanced diet ( excessive consumption of proteins and fats) because of which digestion processes are disrupted.

There is one more serious disease that can provoke an increase in the level of acetone in children. This is a hereditary( or acquired) enzymatic deficiency, because of which the body is not able to normally digest carbohydrates.

Factors provoking a pathological condition may be caused by:

• fear and severe nervous overload;
• physical overload;
• mental overstrain;
• is a harmful food;
• as well as the excessive stay of children in the sun( heat stroke).

Symptoms of

1. The very first symptom of acetonuria, which should alert parents, is loss of appetite and nausea. The kid refuses to eat and drink, but at the same time he feels regular attacks of nausea, which later cause vomiting. Moreover, it tears the baby regardless of food intake, and over time, vomiting becomes indomitable. During this period, parents can feel that his urine smells of acetone, and also that the smell of acetone comes from the mouth of the child when breathing.
2. The baby can have pain in the abdomen of a spastic nature and a violation of the general state of health - there is weakness and symptoms of intoxication are added( dry mouth, pale skin, rapid increase in body temperature, decrease in the amount of excreted urine).
3. Progressing, this condition leads to the development of symptoms of CNS damage - lethargy or increased excitability, apathy, seizures and even coma.
4. It should be noted that with increasing acetone in the urine in children, the liver increases, which for medical diagnosis is also one of the indicators of the development of acetonuria.

Diagnostics

To date, the procedure for determining the level of acetone is much simpler - for this there are express tests that parents can independently purchase at the nearest pharmacy.

The test should be done within three days. The strip is lowered into the morning urine, shaken off and after a few minutes the result is obtained:

• if the original yellow band on the test turned pink - this indicates the presence of a low level of ketone bodies in the urine;
• if it has acquired a purple hue, then the level of acetone in the urine is extremely high and the child needs hospitalization. Of course, parents should not rely solely on test scores - if you suspect acetone, you should immediately contact the pediatrician who will prescribe the examination and tests.

  For examination, urine is collected in the morning in a dry and clean container. The norm is when there is no acetone in the urine of the child. If ketone bodies are present even in small amounts, this is marked in the analysis by "crosses"( pluses).The number of "crosses" means the level of ketone bodies in the urine:

  • 1 plus indicates a weakly positive result;
  • 2-3 plus - then the reaction is clearly positive;
  • 4 plus indicates a pronounced reaction when the child needs immediate treatment.

  The main stages of treatment

  • Having discovered acetone in the urine of a child, doctors, first of all, advise parents to correct the baby's nutrition. He is given ample drink and a strict diet. A little is needed to drink the baby. But it is best to use pharmacy solutions, such as Orsol and Regidron, which normalize the water-alkaline balance in the body and make up for the amount of liquid lost by the baby.
  • You can use self-prepared decoctions of raisins or dried fruits, as well as non-carbonated mineral water and camomile infusion. Obligatory is the intake of absorbents - drugs that remove toxins from the body. To this end, you can use activated carbon, Sorbeks and other means.
  • You can relieve the condition of the baby with a conventional enema, which will remove the decay products from the intestine.
  • In severe cases, treatment requires mandatory hospitalization of children, followed by the introduction of saline and glucose intravenously through a dropper to remove the main symptoms of poisoning the body with ketone bodies.
  • With regard to nutrition, after removing the symptoms of acetonuria, the child is prescribed a strict diet that completely excludes the use of any sweets, flour products, including bread and pasta, spices, preserves, fatty and fried foods, as well as citrus and bananas.
  • Allows the diet to eat lean meat( boiled, stewed), low-fat fish, vegetable soups, borscht and a variety of cereals, as well as vegetables and fruits( except banned) in any form, as they are a storehouse of vitamins and trace elements.

  Thus, the main task of parents when finding acetone in the urine of their baby is the normalization of the feeding process of their baby to prevent the recurrence of the disease, because with the multiple occurrence of acetonuria, the child develops an acetonemic cider, leading to serious abnormalities in his physical and mental development.

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