Children's immunity: how to protect against viruses

Over the past few months, Russia has regularly experienced a serious upsurge of respiratory diseases[1]. Their treatment is complicated by the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The observed antibiotic resistance and reduced immunoactivity in the population are associated with post-COVID-19 syndrome, which often lead to severe bacterial complications. The 24th Current Problems of Pediatrics congress, held in Moscow, welcomed experts who discussed how to help the youngest patients with respiratory infections.

The problem of a weakened immune system became even more acute after the coronavirus infection pandemic. Experts believe that the best defense against infection is having an adequate immune system, which must be trained. Dr. habil. med., Prof., Head of the Department of Pediatrics of the FSBEI HPE A.I. Yevdokimov MSMSU MOH Russia, Honorary Physician of the Russian Federation, Olga Zaitseva, noted the importance of immunocorrection, both for therapy and prevention.

Children's bodies are very fragile and specialists approach immunocorrection in children with great care, selecting those products which have the most natural effect on the immune system. Dr. habil. med., Professor of the Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergology of the FSAEI HE I.M. Sechenov First MSMU MOH Russia, Oleg Kalyuzhin, drew attention to azoximer bromide (Polyoxidonium®). The most important task of immunocorrection of any disease is not only to reinforce the missing immune response but also to suppress the excess of some immune reactions. Azoximer bromide is a universal remedy used both in case of deficiency and excess of the body's response.

Specialists believe that the most important task in treating children is to maintain the immune system homeostasis. Regular administration of antibiotics destroys it, believes Dr. habil. med., Prof., Irina Kirichenko: “It is a proven fact that after a single prescription of antibiotics the biome will recover only in a year. Colleagues from the U.S. and Great Britain conducted a study: patients who were prescribed antibiotics for up to a year after 35 years had problems with the gastrointestinal tract, including the pancreas.”

The professor emphasized that it is necessary to preserve the body's native beneficial bacteria from childhood. Otherwise, the body's recognition of the “friend-or-foe” system will be impaired, leading to the unimpeded entry of infections.

After ARVI, the most frequent complications are adenoiditis and sinusitis, which are often treated with antibiotics. Irina Kirichenko added that their use depends on the disease course: “Polyoxidonium® can help immune system to prevent the transition from a viral disease to a bacterial one. The drug has been found to enhance the function of mucous membranes, reduce the manifestation of viral infections, improve nasal breathing and actually halve the course of the disease.”

Azoximer bromide can be prescribed both on the first day when respiratory symptoms appear and at the late stage of the disease. In addition, the drug can be successfully combined with other medicinal products.

1 https://www.influenza.spb.ru/system/epidemic_situation/laboratory_diagnostics/

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