Neuropathy in children symptoms. Children's neuropathy Children's neuropathy children study in a regular school

The syndrome of early childhood neuropathy or “congenital childhood nervousness” (V.V. Kovalev, 1979) is the most common syndrome of mental disorders in early childhood (from 0 to 3 years). The main place in the structure of the syndrome is occupied by sharply increased excitability and pronounced instability of autonomic functions, which are combined with general increased sensitivity, psychomotor and affective excitability and rapid exhaustion, as well as with more or less pronounced traits of inhibition in behavior (in the form of timidity, timidity, fear of everything new).

In infancy and early childhood, various somatovegetative disorders and sleep disturbances come to the fore in the symptoms of neuropathy. Among somatovegetative disorders, dysfunctions of the digestive organs predominate (frequent regurgitation, vomiting, constipation, often followed by diarrhea, decreased appetite or selectivity in food, eating disorders), breathing (respiratory arrhythmia), cardiovascular disorders (pallor and marbling of the skin, cyanosis of the nasolabial triangle, pulse instability, etc.). Other autonomic disorders are also noted, such as low-grade fever, not associated with somatic diseases, sleep disturbance, manifested in the form of insufficient depth and a violation of the sleep formula (drowsiness during the day and restlessness at night).

Children often experience increased sensitivity to various stimuli in the form of the appearance or intensification of motor restlessness, affective agitation, tearfulness under the influence of ordinary auditory, visual and tactile stimuli, changes in body position, slight changes in the food they receive, etc. Such reactions can occur when “ feeling of discomfort” associated with hunger, thirst, wet diapers, changes in temperature and humidity in the room, etc.

Many children, along with autonomic disorders and increased sensitivity, may experience instinctive disorders in the form of an increased sense of self-preservation, the expression of which is fear and poor tolerance of everything new. Fears manifest themselves in increased somatovegetative disorders: refusal to eat, weight loss, increased moodiness and tearfulness with any change of environment, change in regime, conditions of care, placement in a child care facility. These children often have an increased tendency to allergic reactions, infectious and colds.

With age, the severity of somatovegetative reactions weakens, but decreased appetite up to anorexia, selectivity in food, slow chewing of food, intestinal dysfunction, difficulty falling asleep, shallow sleep with frightening dreams persist for a long time. New symptoms may gradually appear: increased affective excitability combined with exhaustion, greater impressionability, a tendency to fear, fear of everything new.

As G.E. writes Sukharev, depending on the predominance of traits of inhibition or affective excitability in the behavior of children, two clinical variants of early childhood neuropathy can be distinguished:

With one ( asthenic) – children are timid, shy, inhibited, highly impressionable, easily exhausted;

With another ( excitable) In this case, children are affectively excitable, irritable, and motorically disinhibited.

The pathogenetic basis of neuropathic conditions is the immaturity of higher centers of autonomic regulation, associated with their functional immaturity and a reduced threshold of excitability. Neuropathy syndrome is quite often included in the structure of residual organic neuropsychiatric disorders resulting from intrauterine or early organic brain lesions ( "organic" or "residual" neuropathy according to S.S. Mnukhin, 1968). In these cases, manifestations of organic neuropathy are detected already in the maternity hospital. They are more rough and monotonous (newborns have trouble latching on the breast, are restless, moan or cry). Subsequently, these phenomena are combined with a variety of minimal brain dysfunction (MCD), increased intracranial pressure, and delayed psychomotor development and speech.

According to E.I. Kirichenko and L.T. Zhurba (1976), in differential diagnosis it is necessary to pay attention to the fact that with “true” neuropathy the personality components are more pronounced, while in children with “organic” neuropathy cerebropathic symptoms and symptoms of motor disinhibition are more noticeable.

With age, children with “true” neuropathy may experience dysfunction of internal organs, against the background of which somatic disorders develop. Thus, if the function of the gastrointestinal tract is impaired with age, various gastritis, colitis occur, and functional disorders (regurgitation or vomiting, refusal to eat) are possible, manifesting themselves in stressful situation(child’s admission to kindergarten or in the presence strangers). In children with predominant disorders of the respiratory system, various inflammatory processes (bronchitis, tracheitis) and asthmatic (spasmodic) conditions are easily formed in the future. In children with manifestations of functional disorders of the cardiovascular system at an early age, later, under unfavorable conditions (physical or mental overload), stable or periodically occurring tachycardia, extrasystole, and pain in the heart area are formed. These symptoms can occur in people of all ages, but they begin in early childhood. It must be emphasized that in before school age From the group of children with early childhood neuropathy, two independent groups are formed: some children with symptoms of hyperactivity, others - quiet, inactive, in need of encouragement to action.

Educators and teachers in a preschool institution should pay attention to the characteristics of each child and, from a conversation with parents, identify the main manifestations of developmental deviations and provide the necessary assistance in organizing activities, attracting attention to play, design, assistance in cleaning the workplace, and practicing musical rhythms , compliance with the regime.

Questions for independent work:

1. Name the differences between the concepts “symptom” and “syndrome”.

2. What are the causes of early childhood neuropathy syndrome?

3. Tell us about the manifestations of early childhood neuropathy syndrome.

4. What painful conditions develop against the background of early childhood neuropathy?

5. Tell us about the forms of work of a teacher in a preschool institution with difficult children.

6. Name methods for preventing childhood neuropathy.

Hyperdynamic syndrome

Hyperdynamic syndrome (motor disinhibition syndrome), which is also referred to as hyperactivity, found in age period from 1.5 to 15 years, but is most pronounced in preschool age. The main components of hyperdynamic syndrome are considered to be: general motor restlessness, restlessness, an abundance of unnecessary movements, insufficient focus and, often, impulsiveness of actions, impaired concentration of active attention. In some cases, the following are observed: aggressiveness, negativism, irritability, explosiveness, and a tendency to mood swings. At school age, disturbances in school adaptation are constantly observed, difficulties in mastering knowledge, in mastering writing and reading skills, and disturbances in spatial synthesis are often observed (L.T. Zhurba, E.M. Mastyukova, 1980).

Children's behavior is characterized by a desire for constant movement and extreme restlessness. They constantly run, jump, sit down briefly, then jump up, touch and pick up objects that fall into their field of vision, ask a lot of questions, and often do not listen to the answers to them. Their attention is attracted for a short time, which makes it extremely difficult to carry out educational work with them. Due to increased motor activity and general excitability, children easily enter into conflict situations with peers and educators or teachers due to violation of the daily routine, when completing class assignments, etc.

Hyperdynamic syndrome most often occurs in long-term consequences of early organic brain lesions, which led to its identification with the so-called “minimal cerebral dysfunction” (MCD) syndrome. However, it must be emphasized that hyperdynamic syndrome is formed against the background of MMD and can be combined with other syndromes resulting from early brain damage. This is indicated by information in the anamnesis of children whose parents seek specialized help. Pathology is detected in the risk group prenatal period, premature birth, birth trauma and asphyxia of newborns, diseases suffered in the first years of life. Changes in the state of the brain are confirmed by EEG and echogram. In these cases, hyperdynamic syndrome is part of the structure of a psychoorganic defect, combined with disorders of higher mental functions (gnosis, praxis, spatial orientation), intellectual, cerebrasthenic and psychopathic disorders (Yu.I. Barshnev, E.M. Belousova, 1994).

Let us give the following example of an extract from the medical history of Vova, 6 years old, whose parents sought medical and pedagogical help due to the boy’s difficult behavior.

From the words of the mother, it became known that the boy was from his first pregnancy, which occurred with toxicosis. The mother was hospitalized several times to maintain her pregnancy. The mother's birth occurred on time, with long-term obstetric care. The child was born with asphyxia. He took the breast immediately, but sucked weakly. All stages of physical development were within the age norm; speech development was somewhat delayed. The boy often suffered from colds. Vova came to kindergarten for children with speech disorders at the age of 3.5 and immediately attracted attention with his restlessness, motor restlessness, and inability to play with toys. All the children are playing, Vova also takes part in the game, but he quickly gets bored with the activity. The boy begins to disturb those around him and destroy buildings. If the children are drawing, then he interferes with them, crosses out the drawings, takes away the pencils, etc. (from the teacher’s description). A conflict situation constantly arises. Children get offended, make noise, and sometimes a fight breaks out between them (elements of aggression). Having seated the boy at the table, the teacher works with him alone, all the other children go about their business. Conflicts in the group are becoming more frequent, which led the mother and boy to consult a psychoneurologist, psychologist and defectologist.

On examination: the boy is malnourished, pale, with a developed vascular network under the skin at the temples. In the neurological status: insufficient abduction of the right eyeball, the nasolabial fold on the right is somewhat smoothed, the movement of the articulatory muscles is insufficient, the tip of the tongue deviates to the left. Tendon reflexes are animated, Babinski's sign is on the right. Fine motor skills are not developed. Based on the neurological examination, we can talk about minimal brain dysfunction.

During an examination in the speech pathologist's office: the boy is restless, asks a lot of questions, examines all the objects and toys on the table, his attention is unstable and quickly exhausted. The subject is not interested in anything, walks around the office, does not take into account the distance, calls the doctor and teacher first name. He answers questions at length, but easily gets lost and moves on to another topic. The vocabulary is sufficient, phrasal speech is common. The stock of general information is below the age norm.

An echogram reveals dilatation of the lateral ventricles, which indicates hypertension. Convoluted narrow blood vessels are visible on the fundus disc. The findings indicate minimal brain dysfunction (MCD) and hypertension.

In this case, hyperactivity is combined with instability of active attention and is a consequence of organic damage to the central nervous system in the form of MMD and hypertension syndrome. The boy needs therapeutic measures to normalize intracranial pressure and general strengthening treatment, further observation and special educational conditions. A conversation was held with the teacher and mother about the forms of raising a child, organizing educational activities, and maintaining a daily routine.

It is possible to make a differential diagnosis between children with in different forms impaired activity (Table 1).

Neuropathy in children is characterized by increased excitability, excessively rapid exhaustion, impaired appetite and digestion, sleep disorders, the development of tics and stuttering, and the appearance of various allergic reactions. Very often, children with mental retardation or so-called mental retardation experience similar symptoms. But comparing these 2 different diagnoses is unacceptable.

Today in medicine, the term neuropathy refers to a number of specific mental disorders that are characteristic of early childhood. Neuropathic children are active, curious, overly emotional, and are characterized by sudden mood swings. It is very difficult for them to calm down and keep themselves under control.

Hearing a diagnosis of neuropathy or congenital childhood nervousness, parents have many questions, the answers to which we will try to give in this article.

Main causes of the disease

According to doctors, one of the main reasons for the development of this disease is an unsuccessful pregnancy:

  • stress;
  • some chronic diseases;
  • excessively strong toxicosis;
  • birth asphyxia.

In the first months of your baby’s life, you should very carefully monitor the course of diseases, how the baby tolerates them (dyspeptic disorders, infections).

The child is actively developing, and the nervous system is under enormous stress. Mild organic damage to some areas of the brain may occur.

The cause can also be injury, infection, and even vitamin deficiency.

Neuropathy in children: symptoms

  • Congenital childhood nervousness most often manifests itself from the first days of life. The baby is restless, does not sleep, is reluctant to take the breast, and flinches at the slightest noise. Cries and screams for no reason. In the future, frequent regurgitation, constipation or diarrhea are possible.
  • After 2 years, it is very difficult for children to concentrate on one thing; they are not assiduous and get tired quickly.
  • Signs of neuropathy may include headaches, asthmatic attacks, fainting, and sudden fluctuations in blood pressure.

Symptom specialists distinguish two groups of patients:

  1. Children have unstable emotions, increased excitability, affective outbursts, followed by severe fatigue.
  2. Patients in the other group have increased exhaustion, depression, and hysterical attacks. It is difficult for them to adapt to changes in life, they are not confident in themselves.

Subsequently, children's nervousness develops into other neuropsychic disorders.

Types and forms of the disease

Doctors distinguish types of neuropathy:

  • Peripheral. This type of disease is caused by a disorder of the peripheral nervous system. It affects the nerve endings that are located in the limbs of a person.
  • Cranial. Causes disruption of one of the 12 pairs of cranial nerve endings. As a result, vision or hearing may be impaired.
  • Autonomous. Affects the vegetative nervous system. It is responsible for the functioning of the heart, digestion and other important functions of the body.
  • Local. This type of disease can damage only one or a group of nerves in a specific area of ​​the body. Symptoms appear suddenly.

Possible complications and consequences

It very rarely happens that by the age of 6-7 years, all psychoneurological disorders disappear.

But in most cases, the symptoms only worsen (vegetative-vascular disorders, motor impairments occur, and childhood neurosis develops) and the background is created for the formation of psychopathy.

IN two years of age Hyperkinetic syndrome may already be manifesting itself, that is, children become hyperactive, but not purposeful. Mental processes regress.

Subsequently, night terrors and nightmares often occur, and breathing problems occur periodically. There may be complaints of pain in the heart and abdomen.

Paroxysmal disorders appear as a complication. Patients suffer from emotional instability, fearfulness, enuresis and encopresis.

Diagnostic measures

If several symptoms appear, even at first glance unclear, that may resemble neuropathy, you should immediately consult a doctor (pediatric neurologist).

After inspection appearance child, you need to undergo a standard examination:

  • a general blood test that will determine ESR (in other words, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate);
  • advanced urine analysis;
  • chest x-ray;
  • measure plasma glucose levels after meals;
  • perform electrophoresis of whey proteins.

Depending on the results, doctors prescribe further examination tactics. Electromyography is performed, the speed of conduction of the patient's nerve impulse is measured, and the nerve fiber is taken for biopsy.

How is the treatment carried out?

Treatment of neuropathy is carried out as a complex of medical and pedagogical actions. Measures are taken to control the symptoms of the disease and combat the root cause of the disease.

Medicines are prescribed only by a doctor. It can be:

  • restoratives;
  • and so-called sedatives.

For a short course, a solution of sodium bromide 1% (200 mg) and caffeine-sodium benzoate 0.05 g, 1 teaspoon three times a day, are prescribed. Enemas with sodium sulfate are used in preschool age.

Teenagers, under the supervision of a doctor, undergo treatment with mild tranquilizers. This can be Librium (from 10 to 30 mg per day), as well as Seduxen (from 5 to 20 mg), Aminazine (no more than 100 mg per day). But most often it is advised not to resort to medications, especially at an early age.

  • taking vitamins;
  • water procedures;
  • gymnastics;
  • massage;
  • and complete rest to allow the nerve cells to recover.

Is rehabilitation necessary after treatment?

After treatment for a pathology of the nervous system, a child needs home rehabilitation. But parents should understand that severe damage to the nerve fiber in childhood, unfortunately, cannot be restored.

When undergoing a rehabilitation course, it is very important that children pay Special attention physical exercises, hardened, often stayed on fresh air. You should definitely adhere unquestioningly to all the recommendations of your treating doctor. Consult a child psychologist or pediatrician.

Means and methods for preventing neuropathy

Prevention of neuropathy consists in, first of all, ensuring normal pregnancy conditions.

And after the birth of the child, pay special attention balanced diet, educational and hygienic measures, rationally organize the child’s employment and rest.

Parents' experience

As statistics from forums where the topic of neuropathy in children was discussed, parents still coped with disorders in children.

It is known that in addition to drug treatment, they also used other measures. They tried to surround the child with care and affection, performed therapeutic massages, enrolled the children in the pool or took them to the sea.

Doctor advises

It is important to promptly recognize signs of neuropathy in a child and contact medical Center. Try to ensure that your child grows and develops in an atmosphere of love and calm, adheres to a constant routine and avoids high emotional/physical stress.

Video for the article

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The nervous system plays a decisive role in the functioning of the human body and performs many functions. Even a slight disruption in its functioning can lead to the development of serious neurological diseases. The occurrence of such pathologies in children, unfortunately, is quite common, and neuropathy is not the least important among them.

Childhood neuropathy is a congenital or acquired abnormality of the central nervous system. The occurrence of childhood neuropathy is accompanied by symptoms such as:

  • increased excitability;
  • lack of appetite;
  • digestive and sleep disorders;
  • frequent manifestations of various types of allergic reactions;
  • in some cases, phenomena such as nervous tics and stuttering may be observed.

Neuropathy, depending on the number of affected nerves, is divided into:

  • mononeuropathy - damage to one or more single nerves, which can develop in parallel or sequentially;
  • polyneuropathy - a pathological process that involves multiple nerve formations, in particular the spinal and cranial nerve trunks. The lesions develop simultaneously.

Today, there are 4 levels of neuropsychic response (formulated by V.V. Kovalev):

A special place is occupied by auditory neuropathy (a hearing disorder in which distorted sound transmission to the brain occurs). With this type of neuropathy, the child often experiences delayed speech development.

Auditory neuropathy was discovered recently, but it has already been established that one of the main causes of its occurrence in most cases is a genetic factor (heredity).

In order for treatment to be prescribed in a timely manner, it is very important to know for what reasons this pathology may occur and how exactly it occurs (what symptoms it may be accompanied by).

Causes and symptoms

The main causes of pathology in a child are:

  • infectious lesions (neuropathy, which occurs as a result of the pathological effects of infections on the body, including intrauterine ones);
  • injuries sustained (neuropathy that occurs as a result of injury);
  • diabetes;
  • compression-ischemic neuropathy (occurs as a result of compression of the nerve fiber in the area of ​​the bone canal).

Diabetic neuropathy

The cause of the development of this pathology can also be an unfavorable (complicated or severe) course of the mother’s pregnancy, accompanied by such phenomena as:

  • stress and depression;
  • birth asphyxia;
  • severe toxicosis;
  • chronic diseases.

Symptoms of neuropathy depend on its type, age, causes and other factors, but the general clinical picture is as follows:


Depending on the symptoms that arise, experts also distinguish 2 main groups of patients:

  1. Children with an unstable psyche, manifestations of increased excitability (nervousness) and affective outbursts, followed by severe fatigue.
  2. Weakened children, which is manifested by a depressed state and hysterical attacks.

Neurological diseases cause a lot of inconvenience to children and parents. Therefore, if such violations are observed, it is necessary to seek help from specialists.

Diagnosis and treatment

To identify neuropathy (make an accurate diagnosis), you will need a set of diagnostic measures:


Treatment regimen

Treatment tactics are determined by the attending physician. Most often, neuropathy is treated with therapy, which also includes a complex of medical and pedagogical actions. Treatment with drugs involves the prescription of the following medications:


Physiotherapeutic measures are also useful for a child diagnosed with neuropathy: gymnastics, massage and water procedures (water baths, swimming, contrast showers and subaqueous massage).

Traditional methods of treatment are rarely prescribed for the treatment of neuropathy in children. But sometimes teas from various medicinal herbs that have a sedative effect may be recommended for use. Can be used:

  • Linden;
  • mint;
  • motherwort;
  • Melissa;
  • St. John's wort;
  • chamomile;
  • oregano

Alternative medicine should be used as directed and under the strict supervision of the attending physician, as it may not only not have a therapeutic effect, but also cause harm (this is especially true for the treatment of pediatric patients).

Normalization psychological state a child with neuropathy plays almost a dominant role, so it is very important how parents cope with the manifestations of this pathology. A few rules for parents:

  • communicate with the child calmly and restrainedly (do not start shouting);
  • do not bother with constant reproaches, remarks and prohibitions (children with this neurological disorder are extremely impressionable);
  • you should not constantly give in and indulge (hysterics are often just a way of manipulation);
  • show love without going to extremes;
  • do not encourage your child with sweets (children with neuropathy often suffer from allergies and digestive disorders).

Prevention

With timely treatment of neuropathy, the prognosis is favorable. In the absence of adequate treatment and proper psychological influence on the child, parents may later face many problems: egocentrism, hot temper, hysteria, excessive demands, etc.

Preventive measures are:


If the baby has this pathology, parents should be patient, since therapy for this disease is a rather long and exhausting process. It is important to understand that the child’s capriciousness in this case is not a sign of spoilage, but a serious health problem.

Yakutina Svetlana

Expert of the OInsulte.ru project


Neuropathy in children is characterized by increased excitability, excessively rapid exhaustion, impaired appetite and digestion, sleep disorders, the development of tics and stuttering, and the appearance of various allergic reactions. Very often, children with mental retardation or so-called mental retardation experience similar symptoms. But comparing these 2 different diagnoses is unacceptable.

Today in medicine, the term neuropathy refers to a number of specific mental disorders that are characteristic of early childhood. Neuropathic children are active, curious, overly emotional, and are characterized by sudden mood swings. It is very difficult for them to calm down and keep themselves under control.

Hearing a diagnosis of neuropathy or congenital childhood nervousness, parents have many questions, the answers to which we will try to give in this article.

Main causes of the disease

According to doctors, one of the main reasons for the development of this disease is an unsuccessful pregnancy:

  • stress;
  • some chronic diseases;
  • excessively strong toxicosis;
  • birth asphyxia.

In the first months of your baby’s life, you should very carefully monitor the course of diseases, how the baby tolerates them (dyspeptic disorders, infections).

The child is actively developing, and the nervous system is under enormous stress. Mild organic damage to some areas of the brain may occur.

The cause can also be injury, infection, and even vitamin deficiency.

Neuropathy in children: symptoms

  • Congenital childhood nervousness most often manifests itself from the first days of life. The baby is restless, does not sleep, is reluctant to take the breast, and flinches at the slightest noise. Cries and screams for no reason. In the future, frequent regurgitation, constipation or diarrhea are possible.
  • After 2 years, it is very difficult for children to concentrate on one thing; they are not assiduous and get tired quickly.
  • Signs of neuropathy may include headaches, asthmatic attacks, fainting, and sudden fluctuations in blood pressure.

Symptom specialists distinguish two groups of patients:

  1. Children have unstable emotions, increased excitability, affective outbursts, followed by severe fatigue.
  2. Patients in the other group have increased exhaustion, depression, and hysterical attacks. It is difficult for them to adapt to changes in life, they are not confident in themselves.


Subsequently, children's nervousness develops into other neuropsychic disorders.

Types and forms of the disease

Doctors distinguish types of neuropathy:

  • Peripheral. This type of disease is caused by a disorder of the peripheral nervous system. It affects the nerve endings that are located in the limbs of a person.
  • Cranial. Causes disruption of one of the 12 pairs of cranial nerve endings. As a result, vision or hearing may be impaired.
  • Autonomous. Affects the autonomic nervous system. It is responsible for the functioning of the heart, digestion and other important functions of the body.
  • Local. This type of disease can damage only one or a group of nerves in a specific area of ​​the body. Symptoms appear suddenly.

Possible complications and consequences

It very rarely happens that by the age of 6-7 years, all psychoneurological disorders disappear.

But in most cases, the symptoms only worsen (vegetative-vascular disorders, motor impairments occur, and childhood neurosis develops) and the background is created for the formation of psychopathy.

At the age of two, hyperkinetic syndrome may already appear, that is, children become hyperactive, but not purposeful. Mental processes regress.

Subsequently, night terrors and nightmares often occur, and breathing problems occur periodically. There may be complaints of pain in the heart and abdomen.

Paroxysmal disorders appear as a complication. Patients suffer from emotional instability, fearfulness, enuresis and encopresis.

Diagnostic measures

If several symptoms appear, even at first glance unclear, that may resemble neuropathy, you should immediately consult a doctor (pediatric neurologist).

After examining the child’s appearance, you need to undergo a standard examination:

  • a general blood test that will determine ESR (in other words, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate);
  • advanced urine analysis;
  • chest x-ray;
  • measure plasma glucose levels after meals;
  • perform electrophoresis of whey proteins.

Depending on the results, doctors prescribe further examination tactics. Electromyography is performed, the speed of conduction of the patient's nerve impulse is measured, and the nerve fiber is taken for biopsy.

How is the treatment carried out?

Treatment of neuropathy is carried out as a complex of medical and pedagogical actions. Measures are taken to control the symptoms of the disease and combat the root cause of the disease.

Medicines are prescribed only by a doctor. It can be:

  • restoratives;
  • and so-called sedatives.

For a short course, a solution of sodium bromide 1% (200 mg) and caffeine-sodium benzoate 0.05 g, 1 teaspoon three times a day, are prescribed. Enemas with sodium sulfate are used in preschool age.

Teenagers, under the supervision of a doctor, undergo treatment with mild tranquilizers. This can be Librium (from 10 to 30 mg per day), as well as Seduxen (from 5 to 20 mg), Aminazine (no more than 100 mg per day). But most often it is advised not to resort to medications, especially at an early age.

  • taking vitamins;
  • water procedures;
  • gymnastics;
  • massage;
  • and complete rest to allow the nerve cells to recover.

Is rehabilitation necessary after treatment?

After treatment for a pathology of the nervous system, a child needs home rehabilitation. But parents should understand that severe damage to the nerve fiber in childhood, unfortunately, cannot be restored.

When undergoing a rehabilitation course, it is very important that children pay special attention to physical exercise, harden themselves, and often spend time in the fresh air. You should definitely adhere unquestioningly to all the recommendations of your treating doctor. Consult a child psychologist or pediatrician.

Means and methods for preventing neuropathy

Prevention of neuropathy consists in, first of all, ensuring normal pregnancy conditions.

And after the birth of a child, pay special attention to a balanced diet, educational and hygienic measures, and rationally organize the child’s employment and rest.

Parents' experience

As statistics from forums where the topic of neuropathy in children was discussed, parents still coped with disorders in children.

It is known that in addition to drug treatment, they also used other measures. They tried to surround the child with care and affection, performed therapeutic massages, enrolled the children in the pool or took them to the sea.

Doctor advises

It is important to promptly recognize signs of neuropathy in a child and contact a medical center. Try to ensure that your child grows and develops in an atmosphere of love and calm, adheres to a constant routine and avoids high emotional/physical stress.

Video for the article

The nervous system plays a decisive role in the functioning of the human body and performs many functions. Even a slight disruption in its functioning can lead to the development of serious neurological diseases. The occurrence of such pathologies in children, unfortunately, is quite common, and neuropathy is not the least important among them.

Basic information about pathology

Childhood neuropathy is a congenital or acquired abnormality of the central nervous system. The occurrence of childhood neuropathy is accompanied by symptoms such as:

  • increased excitability;
  • lack of appetite;
  • digestive and sleep disorders;
  • frequent manifestations of various types of allergic reactions;
  • in some cases, phenomena such as nervous tics and stuttering may be observed.

Neuropathy, depending on the number of affected nerves, is divided into:

  • mononeuropathy - damage to one or more single nerves, which can develop in parallel or sequentially;
  • polyneuropathy - a pathological process that involves multiple nerve formations, in particular the spinal and cranial nerve trunks. The lesions develop simultaneously.

Today, there are 4 levels of neuropsychic response (formulated by V.V. Kovalev):

A special place is occupied by auditory neuropathy (a hearing disorder in which distorted sound transmission to the brain occurs). With this type of neuropathy, the child often experiences delayed speech development.

Auditory neuropathy was discovered recently, but it has already been established that one of the main causes of its occurrence in most cases is a genetic factor (heredity).

In order for treatment to be prescribed in a timely manner, it is very important to know for what reasons this pathology may occur and how exactly it occurs (what symptoms it may be accompanied by).

Causes and symptoms

The main causes of pathology in a child are:

  • infectious lesions (neuropathy, which occurs as a result of the pathological effects of infections on the body, including intrauterine ones);
  • injuries sustained (neuropathy that occurs as a result of injury);
  • diabetes;
  • compression-ischemic neuropathy (occurs as a result of compression of the nerve fiber in the area of ​​the bone canal).

The cause of the development of this pathology can also be an unfavorable (complicated or severe) course of the mother’s pregnancy, accompanied by such phenomena as:

  • stress and depression;
  • birth asphyxia;
  • severe toxicosis;
  • chronic diseases.

Symptoms of neuropathy depend on its type, age, causes and other factors, but the general clinical picture is as follows:


Depending on the symptoms that arise, experts also distinguish 2 main groups of patients:

  1. Children with an unstable psyche, manifestations of increased excitability (nervousness) and affective outbursts, followed by severe fatigue.
  2. Weakened children, which is manifested by a depressed state and hysterical attacks.

Neurological diseases cause a lot of inconvenience to children and parents. Therefore, if such violations are observed, it is necessary to seek help from specialists.

Diagnosis and treatment

To identify neuropathy (make an accurate diagnosis), you will need a set of diagnostic measures:

Treatment regimen

Treatment tactics are determined by the attending physician. Most often, neuropathy is treated with therapy, which also includes a complex of medical and pedagogical actions. Treatment with drugs involves the prescription of the following medications:


Physiotherapeutic measures are also useful for a child diagnosed with neuropathy: gymnastics, massage and water procedures (water baths, swimming, contrast showers and subaqueous massage).

Traditional methods of treatment are rarely prescribed for the treatment of neuropathy in children. But sometimes teas from various medicinal herbs that have a sedative effect may be recommended for use. Can be used:

  • Linden;
  • mint;
  • motherwort;
  • Melissa;
  • St. John's wort;
  • chamomile;
  • oregano

Alternative medicine should be used as directed and under the strict supervision of the attending physician, as it may not only not have a therapeutic effect, but also cause harm (this is especially true for the treatment of pediatric patients).

Normalizing the psychological state of a child with neuropathy plays almost the dominant role, so it is very important how parents cope with the manifestations of this pathology. A few rules for parents:

  • communicate with the child calmly and restrainedly (do not start shouting);
  • do not bother with constant reproaches, remarks and prohibitions (children with this neurological disorder are extremely impressionable);
  • you should not constantly give in and indulge (hysterics are often just a way of manipulation);
  • show love without going to extremes;
  • do not encourage your child with sweets (children with neuropathy often suffer from allergies and digestive disorders).

Prevention

With timely treatment of neuropathy, the prognosis is favorable. In the absence of adequate treatment and proper psychological influence on the child, parents may later face many problems: egocentrism, hot temper, hysteria, excessive demands, etc.

Preventive measures are:


If the baby has this pathology, parents should be patient, since therapy for this disease is a rather long and exhausting process. It is important to understand that the child’s capriciousness in this case is not a sign of spoilage, but a serious health problem.

The term “childhood nervousness” is very broad. It includes painful conditions, more or less pronounced non-pathological changes in character, and simply deviations in the behavior of children.

We will talk about childhood nervousness in the medical sense, meaning painful, pathological processes - neuroses.

Neuroses are a large group of diseases (neurasthenia, hysteria, obsessive-compulsive neurosis, neurotic depression), which usually manifest themselves as pronounced disturbances, primarily in higher nervous activity. The manifestations of neuroses are diverse. Some children are overly excitable, unrestrained, and easily have outbursts of anger, irritation, and fear. They are capricious and demanding, fussy and restless, sometimes they talk a lot, gesticulate, and grimace. Others, on the contrary, are lethargic, apathetic, withdrawn, have difficulty sleeping at night and are sleepy during the day. Such children are shy and indecisive, timid and fearful, they keep to themselves, away from noisy companies of their peers, and are characterized by heightened impressionability.

It is necessary to make a reservation. After reading this list of symptoms, a suspicious person will find them in his child and suspect the presence of some kind of disease. Don't try to diagnose yourself! This can only be done by an experienced doctor. The purpose of the article is only to alert parents and educators so that, if necessary, they consult a specialist in a timely manner.

The causes of childhood nervousness are varied. Here there are gross mistakes in upbringing, and constant violations of the rules of hygiene and child care, and various diseases that weaken the nervous system (infectious diseases, skull injuries, accidental poisoning, etc.) In preschool age, a strong unexpected event especially often leads to a nervous breakdown. fear and constant conflicts in the family.

A fairly common painful condition in children is neurasthenia (exhaustion neurosis, “irritable weakness”). Sick children complain of heaviness in the head, a feeling as if a hat is constantly being put on it. They periodically experience headaches, dizziness, increased heart rate, and irritability. These children are depressed, sad, get tired easily and quickly, have trouble falling asleep, and their appetite sharply decreases.

Neurasthenia is a completely curable disease. However, its symptoms are more persistent compared to ordinary overwork. A tired child can also be capricious and irritable, but healthy child all these phenomena disappear after a short rest, after switching to some other activity. For a child suffering from neurasthenia, short-term rest does not improve his condition. It occurs only after a long rest, adherence to proper routine day.

Neurasthenia, like all neuroses, is caused by the reasons mentioned above. However, excessive stress on the child’s psyche plays a special role.

And in fact: we often create overloads for our children, place clearly inflated demands on them, forcing them to do a lot of things, in addition to the things that need to be done in kindergarten. This includes dancing, figure skating, swimming, etc. In each individual case, it is necessary to sensibly assess the child’s real capabilities, soberly weigh his abilities, take into account his inclinations and interests, talk with a doctor about the state of his health, and then carefully monitor for his well-being during classes.

Also, the most common disorganization can lead to neurasthenia. If a child lives outside any routine, sits for hours in front of the TV or computer, does not have lunch on time and does not go to bed on time, he can also become neurotic.

Impressionable and somewhat timid children sometimes suffer from a special form of neurotic reaction - obsessive fears. More often than not, these fears are situational. Food for them can come from watching a television movie intended exclusively for adults, some book intended for a different age, real events in the surrounding life, stories from adults, as well as computer games.

You cannot scare children. On the contrary, you need to try to actively protect them from various frightening situations. But many parents resort to intimidation as a pedagogical measure.

What should parents do if their child exhibits certain signs of neurosis? In this case, consultation with a neuropsychiatrist is mandatory. After an appropriate examination, the specialist will give the necessary advice, explain what kind of approach to the child is needed, suggest the correct tactics of behavior towards him, and if necessary, prescribe treatment.

Parents should constantly remember various measures aimed at preventing children’s nervousness: the child’s strict adherence to a certain regime, the correct good nutrition, about grafting to him with early age basic hygiene skills.

Maintaining a clear daily routine helps the child spend his nervous energy more economically and more productively and, therefore, plays a big role in maintaining health. A strict regime develops an internal physiological rhythm. A child, having gotten used to having lunch at the same time, will eat with great appetite, and having gotten used to going to bed at the same time, will fall asleep instantly.

The entire microclimate of the family plays a huge role in preventing childhood nervousness. In those families where they can courageously and calmly endure difficulties and adversity, where an even mood reigns, and all family members treat each other with respect, children develop both physically and mentally much better. Parents should not forget that their attitude towards children should always be self-possessed and firm. When raising a child, we must strive to ensure that punishments are the exception rather than the rule. And if you punish a child for some kind of offense, you need to explain to him why this should not be done. And, perhaps, punishment will be more effective than encouragement. Encouragement if your child refrains from doing something wrong, encouragement if he does a good deed.

Many parents mistakenly believe that a firm line in raising children is achieved by nothing other than punishment. We assure these parents that the point here is not at all in punishments, but in the persistence of demands, in a calm tone, patience, and in the absence of haste. An incorrect approach to a child, raising a voice, or any thoughtless action of parents that has the nature of violence, sharply excites the baby’s psyche and contributes to the development of nervousness.

Excessive affection, as well as excessive severity towards children, can lead to the development of character traits that will subsequently contribute to the development of neurosis. Pampering and a “hothouse” environment in the family give rise to selfishness in a child’s soul and indulge in incontinence of emotions and drives. But if a child is pulled back every minute, constantly told about his shortcomings, suppressed his initiative and demanded unquestioning obedience from him, he will develop traits of uncertainty, timidity, indecision, he will become passive, which also predisposes to the development of neurosis.

It is advisable from the very beginning to organize education in such a way that the child never has any reason to show irritability or temper. It is important for a child to develop calmness, self-control, and the ability to control his actions and desires. A person who has been accustomed since childhood to behave calmly, finds mutual language with other children, as an adult, he exhibits more restrained behavior in conditions that promote a certain lack of self-discipline; in the future, there is a lack of ability to restrain himself.

This does not mean that the child should be completely protected from all kinds of external stimuli. Something else is important. The child needs to be helped to learn to react calmly to all kinds of traumatic moments, to develop resistance to conflict situations, instill the ability to draw a good life lesson from everything, to draw the right conclusions.