Pancreas in children treatment and nutrition. How to suspect pancreatitis in a child? Advice from a pediatric gastroenterologist

Inflammatory processes and infectious diseases do not go away without leaving a trace. After them, children may suddenly develop reactive pancreatitis. This condition affects one organ of the digestive system – the pancreas.

The development of reactive pancreatitis in children is indicated by pain in the abdomen. However, this symptom occurs not only with inflammation of the pancreas, but also with other diseases. If your child complains of pain, contact your doctor immediately. Do not start treating your baby yourself, because you will not be able to make a correct diagnosis.

In this condition, the child experiences a malfunction of the pancreas. It is covered by the inflammatory process. Enzymes that are produced in the gland do not enter the duodenum and do not take part in the digestive process; they remain in the organ. Under the influence of enzymes, the pancreas begins to collapse.

The causes of reactive pancreatitis can be common childhood infections . Quite often the pancreas becomes inflamed due to ARVI. Symptoms of the disease also arise due to congenital pathologies. The organs of the digestive system, and even the pancreas itself, may have an abnormal structure. Some pathologies interfere with the release of enzymes, resulting in inflammation.

Reactive pancreatitis in a child sometimes occurs due to taking strong antibiotics, abdominal injuries . Plays a huge role nutrition . Almost all children love fast food, chips, carbonated water, and chewing gum. These products have a negative impact on health. The causes of inflammation of the gland can also include uneven functioning of the digestive system (too long a gap between breakfast, lunch and dinner), poisoning.

Signs of reactive pancreatitis

Before talking about the symptoms of inflammation of the gland, it is worth noting that they are less pronounced in children. Some signs may not exist at all. In adult children, the symptoms are clearly expressed.

The presence of reactive pancreatitis may be indicated by:

  • frequent vomiting, after which there is no relief;
  • yellow color of the skin;
  • dark colored urine;
  • too light stool;
  • increased body temperature;
  • crying and screaming, loss of appetite in newborns and infants.

The main symptom of the disease is intense pain that occurs suddenly and is localized in the upper abdomen. Young children cannot show where they have discomfort, as they feel pain around the navel or throughout the abdomen.

First actions of parents and doctors

If a child shows signs of reactive pancreatitis, you should immediately call a doctor. Before his arrival, the baby should be provided with complete rest. The arriving specialist will examine the patient, listen to his complaints or ask the parents to talk about the condition of the young patient. The following studies are also being conducted:

  • a general blood test to confirm the presence of an inflammatory process;
  • biochemical blood test to determine the level of pancreatic enzymes;
  • Ultrasound (ultrasound) or CT (computed tomography) of organs located in the abdominal cavity to detect dense areas of the pancreas replaced by connective tissue;
  • laparoscopy to clarify the form and type of disease.

A child in serious condition with a diagnosis of pancreatitis must be hospitalized. Treatment is carried out conservatively. No surgical intervention is required. The basic principles of treating reactive pancreatitis include eliminating the causes of the disease and using medications to get rid of existing symptoms: pain, vomiting, etc.

The doctor will prescribe medications for a young patient:

  • Pirenzepine or other medications with a similar effect (drugs that reduce the amount of gastric juice produced and inhibit the functioning of the pancreas);
  • Festal, Pancreatin - drugs that reduce pain and improve digestion;
  • No-spa, Platifillin (antispasmodic drugs that eliminate pain and improve the outflow of pancreatic juice);
  • glucose solution (to replenish the body with easily digestible nutritional material).

Often the specialist prescribes other medications. The choice of drugs for the treatment of reactive pancreatitis in children depends on the specific situation.

Diet for inflammation of the pancreas

If a child develops a disease, parents should pay attention to their diet. The baby will have to follow a diet. Here are the main rules of nutrition for reactive pancreatitis:

  1. Providing functional rest to the pancreas. First of all, irritants must be excluded from the child’s diet. Food that has been boiled or steamed should be served crushed and warm. Even during remissions, young children (under 3 years old) need to grind food, because at this age they chew it poorly.
  2. Preservation of the energy and nutritional value of the diet. When diagnosing reactive pancreatitis in a child, parents should not give their child only those foods that contain a lot of proteins. The diet should also contain other foods containing the required amount of carbohydrates and fats. You just need to use the most suitable products as sources of these components.
  3. Fractional meals. With reactive pancreatitis, you need to eat food not according to the usual pattern (breakfast, lunch and dinner), but in small portions at least 5-6 times a day. The interval between meals should not exceed 4 hours.

Features of nutrition in reactive pancreatitis

Treatment day Authorized products Prohibited Products
1st day warm drink (still mineral water)
  • bakery products
  • white cabbage dishes
  • rich vegetable broths and meat broths
  • concentrated mushroom soups
  • fatty fish and meats
  • fried foods
  • sausages
  • canned food
  • smoked meats
  • spices
  • ice cream
  • sparkling water
  • chips
  • fast food
  • chewing gum
  • cakes and pastries
  • citrus
2nd day
3rd day tea without sugar with crackers made from short dough without seasoning, pureed oatmeal and buckwheat porridge
4th day fermented milk products (yogurt, fermented baked milk, kefir, cottage cheese, yogurt), jelly and day-old white bread
5th day vegetable purees or soups
6th day
7th day
next week it is allowed to supplement the diet with fish, boiled lean meat (veal, chicken), steamed cutlets, and a little later you can introduce fresh fruits, vegetables and berries into the diet

Exacerbations of reactive pancreatitis in children can be avoided, provided that even during remissions, prohibited foods are not included in the diet. Any experiments with food can lead to a new attack and the need to follow a strict diet.

Prevention of reactive pancreatitis

If a child has previously been diagnosed with inflammation of the pancreas, then an exacerbation may occur again in the future. Prevention helps prevent attacks. To parents:

  • You should definitely monitor what foods your baby eats;
  • it should be remembered that in children's educational institutions (kindergartens, schools) food is dietary, but it does not correspond to the diet that needs to be followed for reactive pancreatitis;
  • it is necessary to ensure that the child’s medical record for the educational institution indicates the diagnosis and the need for special nutrition;
  • If there is no health worker in the educational institution, you can talk to the teacher or teacher and give him a list of foods that the baby should not eat.

Parents cannot always protect against situations that provoke the occurrence of reactive pancreatitis in a child. In the future, the baby will attend his friends’ birthdays and various holidays. That is why it is necessary to explain to the child the seriousness of the disease and instill in him the need to follow a diet.

All children have a sweet tooth. However, it is cakes and pastries that deal a strong blow to the pancreas, because they contain both fat and sugar. One of the preventive measures is keeping sweets consumption to a minimum . Honey can be an excellent substitute for cake and pastries, but you should not overdo it here either. 2 tbsp is enough for a child. l. this product. And another important rule is not to overeat. The child should get up from the table with a slight feeling of hunger.

An equally important preventive measure is timely elimination of infections , treatment of inflammatory processes and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. It is because of various ailments that children develop reactive pancreatitis. Only through timely treatment of diseases can self-destruction of the pancreas be avoided. At the same time, you need to remember that you cannot prescribe any medications to your child on your own.

In conclusion, it is worth noting that reactive pancreatitis in children is a rather dangerous condition. When the first signs appear, you should immediately seek help from specialists. If this requirement is ignored, the pancreas will gradually be destroyed under the action of its own enzymes. Destructive changes in this organ are fraught with very serious consequences. For example, due to a delay in seeing a doctor, a child may develop diabetes mellitus in the future, and surgical intervention may be required to remove part of the organ. Be attentive to your child.

Educational video about proper nutrition for children and parents

I like!

Diet for pancreatitis of the pancreas in children is the most important component of therapy. A properly designed menu for pancreatitis in a child significantly speeds up the recovery process and prevents relapse of the disease. The basic principles of a diet for a child are practically no different from therapeutic nutrition for an adult. There are only a few nuances that need to be taken into account.

Basic diet rules

Following a diet for pancreatic pancreatitis for children is accompanied by the following rules:

  1. Provide rest for the pancreas during the acute stages of the disease. To do this, the baby needs to eat only crushed, heat-treated foods.
  2. A diet for a child should preserve the energy value of foods. It is not recommended to reduce your daily calorie intake. You just need to choose substitutes for familiar products.
  3. If a period of remission has begun, prohibited products should remain prohibited. You should not introduce prohibited foods into your diet, because the consequences can be disastrous.

Note! The diet menu for pancreatitis must be strictly followed. Violating the doctor's instructions will only worsen the condition and provoke a new exacerbation of the disease.

Acute and chronic stage of pancreatitis

If a child has an acute stage of the disease, then he must be hospitalized. In the first days of therapy, nutrition in children with pancreatitis will be provided only intravenously, using special solutions. Next, the child will be allowed to drink alkaline mineral water and rosehip decoction.

On the 3rd day of treatment, if the patient’s condition improves, you can switch to pureed porridges, purees, dried fruit compotes, and jelly. The menu will expand, and the child will be able to eat vegetable puree soups and protein omelettes.

Sweets allowed:

  • marshmallows;
  • marmalade;
  • jam.

Note! Sweet foods should be included in baby food for pancreatitis in limited quantities, and the diet should be fractional. All sweets must be natural, without additives, preservatives, or dyes.

Features of the diet for children under three years of age

The diet for pancreatitis in children under three years of age has some restrictions, so parents will need to protect their child from the following foods:

  • fresh juices;
  • berries with small grains and thick skin;
  • citrus;
  • fresh vegetables.

It is also necessary to remember that the diet for a child with pancreatitis of the pancreas, even during the period of remission, requires the preparation of crushed, pureed food.

Note! For pancreatitis in adults, baby food (vegetable and meat purees in jars) can also be included in the diet, because it balances all the nutrients, vitamins, and microelements.

Approximate diet

A weekly diet menu for a child with pancreatitis may be as follows:

  1. For breakfast, prepare pureed oatmeal, semolina porridge, and egg white omelette. You cannot add salt, sugar, or butter to porridge. As for drinks, it is better to give preference to rosehip decoction or unsweetened tea.
  2. For second breakfast, warm alkaline water with a couple of slices of toasted bread is great.
  3. For lunch you need to prepare soup from rice and mashed potatoes or mashed buckwheat, mashed boiled carrots. Drink with weak unsweetened tea.
  4. The afternoon snack includes still mineral water and two crackers.
  5. Dinner should consist of a small portion of rice porridge, diluted with two tbsp. l. milk. Wash down with apple compote without sugar.
  6. At night, just before going to bed, apple jelly is perfect.

After 5 days, you can add to the diet of a child with pancreatitis:

  • mashed potatoes with a minimum amount of butter, milk;
  • mashed cottage cheese;
  • beef cutlets, soufflé;
  • boiled chicken fillet;
  • For an afternoon snack, you can pamper your child with dry cookies, but no more than 3 pieces, or oven-baked apples.

Popular recipes for children with pancreatitis

Oatmeal jelly

  • 100 g oatmeal;
  • 0.5 l of water;
  • 2 tbsp. l. starch.

Preparation:

  1. Grind the flakes to fine crumbs.
  2. Dilute starch in 1 cup of cold boiled water.
  3. Bring water to a boil.
  4. Slowly pour in the starch, stirring constantly.
  5. Add crushed flakes.
  6. Remove from the stove.
  7. Leave for 1 hour.
  8. Best consumed warm.

Apple jelly

Note! The drink must be prepared from fruits that have not been treated with pesticides.

  • 2 apples;
  • 0.5 l of water;
  • 3 tbsp. l. potato starch (corn starch - 4 tbsp.).

Preparation:

  1. Cut the apples into small slices.
  2. Dilute starch in a glass of cold water.
  3. Bring water to a boil.
  4. Add starch with apples.
  5. To stir thoroughly.
  6. Cook for 2 minutes.
  7. Leave until completely cool.
  8. Strain.
  9. Serve warm.

Rose hip decoction

  • 10 rose hips;
  • 0.5 liters of water.

Preparation:

  1. Wash the berries.
  2. To boil water.
  3. Add rose hips to boiling water.
  4. Cook for 10-15 minutes.
  5. Leave for 1 hour.
  6. Strain.
  7. Serve warm.

Note! Timely treatment of the symptoms of pancreatitis in children with diet ensures a quick recovery and restoration of the body’s full functioning. To make the disease as easy as possible, you need to correctly create a menu and prepare dishes strictly according to the specified rules.

Diet in the treatment of pancreatitis comes first. Compliance with all dietary rules will restore the full functioning of the gland and return the child to excellent health.

Diet for pancreatitis of the pancreas in children is the most important component of therapy. A properly designed menu for pancreatitis in a child significantly speeds up the recovery process and prevents relapse of the disease. The basic principles of a diet for a child are practically no different from therapeutic nutrition for an adult. There are only a few nuances that need to be taken into account.

Basic diet rules

Following a diet for pancreatic pancreatitis for children is accompanied by the following rules:

  1. Provide rest for the pancreas during the acute stages of the disease. To do this, the baby needs to eat only crushed, heat-treated foods.
  2. A diet for a child should preserve the energy value of foods. It is not recommended to reduce your daily calorie intake. You just need to choose substitutes for familiar products.
  3. If a period of remission has begun, prohibited products should remain prohibited. You should not introduce prohibited foods into your diet, because the consequences can be disastrous.

Note! The diet menu for pancreatitis must be strictly followed. Violating the doctor's instructions will only worsen the condition and provoke a new exacerbation of the disease.

Acute and chronic stage of pancreatitis

If a child has an acute stage of the disease, then he must be hospitalized. In the first days of therapy, nutrition in children with pancreatitis will be provided only intravenously, using special solutions. Next, the child will be allowed to drink alkaline mineral water and rosehip decoction.

On the 3rd day of treatment, if the patient’s condition improves, you can switch to pureed porridges, purees, dried fruit compotes, and jelly. The menu will expand, and the child will be able to eat vegetable puree soups and protein omelettes.

Sweets allowed:

  • marshmallows;
  • marmalade;
  • jam.

Note! Sweet foods should be included in baby food for pancreatitis in limited quantities, and the diet should be fractional. All sweets must be natural, without additives, preservatives, or dyes.

Features of the diet for children under three years of age

The diet for pancreatitis in children under three years of age has some restrictions, so parents will need to protect their child from the following foods:

  • fresh juices;
  • berries with small grains and thick skin;
  • citrus;
  • fresh vegetables.

It is also necessary to remember that the diet for a child with pancreatitis of the pancreas, even during the period of remission, requires the preparation of crushed, pureed food.

Note! For pancreatitis in adults, baby food (vegetable and meat purees in jars) can also be included in the diet, because it balances all the nutrients, vitamins, and microelements.

Approximate diet

A weekly diet menu for a child with pancreatitis may be as follows:

  1. For breakfast, prepare pureed oatmeal, semolina porridge, and egg white omelette. You cannot add salt, sugar, or butter to porridge. As for drinks, it is better to give preference to rosehip decoction or unsweetened tea.
  2. For second breakfast, warm alkaline water with a couple of slices of toasted bread is great.
  3. For lunch you need to prepare soup from rice and mashed potatoes or mashed buckwheat, mashed boiled carrots. Drink with weak unsweetened tea.
  4. The afternoon snack includes still mineral water and two crackers.
  5. Dinner should consist of a small portion of rice porridge, diluted with two tbsp. l. milk. Wash down with apple compote without sugar.
  6. At night, just before going to bed, apple jelly is perfect.

After 5 days, you can add to the diet of a child with pancreatitis:

  • mashed potatoes with a minimum amount of butter, milk;
  • mashed cottage cheese;
  • beef cutlets, soufflé;
  • boiled chicken fillet;
  • For an afternoon snack, you can pamper your child with dry cookies, but no more than 3 pieces, or oven-baked apples.

Popular recipes for children with pancreatitis

Oatmeal jelly

  • 100 g oatmeal;
  • 0.5 l of water;
  • 2 tbsp. l. starch.

Preparation:

  1. Grind the flakes to fine crumbs.
  2. Dilute starch in 1 cup of cold boiled water.
  3. Bring water to a boil.
  4. Slowly pour in the starch, stirring constantly.
  5. Add crushed flakes.
  6. Remove from the stove.
  7. Leave for 1 hour.
  8. Best consumed warm.

Apple jelly

Note! The drink must be prepared from fruits that have not been treated with pesticides.

  • 2 apples;
  • 0.5 l of water;
  • 3 tbsp. l. potato starch (corn starch - 4 tbsp.).

Preparation:

  1. Cut the apples into small slices.
  2. Dilute starch in a glass of cold water.
  3. Bring water to a boil.
  4. Add starch with apples.
  5. To stir thoroughly.
  6. Cook for 2 minutes.
  7. Leave until completely cool.
  8. Strain.
  9. Serve warm.

Rose hip decoction

  • 10 rose hips;
  • 0.5 liters of water.

Preparation:

  1. Wash the berries.
  2. To boil water.
  3. Add rose hips to boiling water.
  4. Cook for 10-15 minutes.
  5. Leave for 1 hour.
  6. Strain.
  7. Serve warm.

Note! Timely treatment of the symptoms of pancreatitis in children with diet ensures a quick recovery and restoration of the body’s full functioning. To make the disease as easy as possible, you need to correctly create a menu and prepare dishes strictly according to the specified rules.

Diet in the treatment of pancreatitis comes first. Compliance with all dietary rules will restore the full functioning of the gland and return the child to excellent health.

As the baby grows, its internal organs grow, the immune system strengthens, and all tissues of the body develop. The growth of organs is a smooth and uniform phenomenon.

But sometimes failures occur. So, the pancreas may be larger than it should be at the age of the child.

If it is also painful, parents should definitely take their baby to see a pediatrician and then a gastroenterologist , since an enlarged pancreas in a child may be a sign of pancreatitis.

The pancreas can be roughly divided into three parts: head, body and tail. If there are disturbances in any of these parts, the functioning of the organ deteriorates, an inflammatory process begins, as a result of which the gland increases in size - in this way the body tries to compensate for the insufficient functionality of the organ.

Both adults and children experience pain when the pancreas becomes inflamed. Painful sensations are usually of a girdling nature.

The intensity of the pain depends on the position in which the person is. During an exacerbation of the disease, body temperature can be much higher than normal.

When the pancreas becomes inflamed, its size increases, and this indicates the possible development of an acute form of pancreatitis.

If pain attacks recur in a patient, the doctor can also diagnose the chronic form of this disease.

Painful symptoms are a reason to immediately consult a doctor, who should prescribe bed rest. Perhaps the doctor admits the patient to the surgical department.

Liver disease can also cause inflammation in the pancreas.

Enlarged pancreas in a child - reasons

The main reasons for an enlarged pancreas in a child:

  • Unbalanced and irregular nutrition (fast food snacks instead of full meals, a lot of smoked, sweet, fatty foods, long periods of time from one meal to another).
  • Low quality products.
  • Environmental pollution.
  • Physical inactivity.
  • Parotitis.
  • Food intoxication.
  • Long-term use of antibiotics, taking a large number of medications.
  • Mechanical damage to the back and abdomen.
  • Excessive physical activity.
  • Increased size of the entire pancreas or any part of it may cause a congenital anomaly.
  • The pancreas enlarges in babies during teething, when the child stops feeding on breast milk.
  • Adaptation of the child to new conditions: to kindergarten, to school, as well as puberty.

A doctor can diagnose pancreatitis only based on the results of laboratory and instrumental studies.

Signs of an enlarged pancreas

  • The child feels sick and may vomit.
  • Heavy sweating.
  • Weakness.
  • Pale skin.
  • Increased body temperature.
  • It hurts behind the ribs.
  • The child complains of a feeling of heaviness in the stomach a couple of hours after eating, and a headache. His appetite is poor and he experiences dizziness.

Strong crying with legs drawn up to the tummy is a signal from a baby who cannot speak to his mother that he has severe abdominal pain. The child may have a fever and vomiting.

Diagnostics

It is difficult to detect pancreatitis at the first stage of the disease. And this happens rarely. The lining of the pancreas is elastic; it stretches without causing pain to the child.

The body only signals a strong enlargement of the gland with pain.

In addition, the patient feels sick, vomits, and his skin becomes bloodless in appearance. He has pain under his ribs, his abdominal wall is tense.

The child complains of lack of strength and feels sleepy all the time. Body temperature is higher than normal.

With the onset of remission, drowsiness becomes mild, health improves, but body temperature does not drop below 37 degrees and diarrhea occurs from time to time.

Parents should pay attention to the child’s well-being 2 hours after eating. If he says that he has a heaviness in his stomach or is dizzy, there is a high probability that his pancreas is inflamed. Children who have problems with this organ eat without appetite.

The following diagnostic stages are required in the hospital:

  1. Taking anamnesis (identifying symptoms).
  2. Analyzes of the endocrine functioning of the pancreas.
  3. Instrumental research.

The doctor asks the child what is bothering him. If there are complaints of pain, the doctor determines where it is located and what its nature is. The factor of heredity is important: are there people with metabolic disorders among close relatives? During the examination of the child, attention is paid to the shade of his skin. The pancreas is palpated while lying down. If the patient is standing, the gland cannot be palpated.

To make a diagnosis, the doctor prescribes tests: stool, urine, blood. Light-colored stool that smells rotten indicates a malfunction of the digestive system. A functional disorder of the pancreas can be diagnosed due to the presence of its enzymes in the urine. The blood is tested for pancreatic hormones.

Ultrasound of the pancreas helps to accurately determine the size of the organ. The gland is located behind the stomach, and it is not possible to examine it only by palpation.

Preparation for an ultrasound within 3 to 4 days before the study includes the following mandatory items:

  • Lack of food prepared by frying in the child’s diet.
  • Refusal of foods containing fat.
  • Refusal of milk.
  • You can't eat fruits and vegetables.

An ultrasound is performed with the baby lying on his back. If it is necessary to examine one of the parts of the gland, the patient's position can be changed. Normally, the outline of the pancreas is clear. The specialist correlates its dimensions with the data in the table. If the echogenicity of the organ is reduced, the patient most likely has acute pancreatitis. Increased – chronic form of the disease, or there is a tumor.

The destruction of pancreatic tissue results in the organ being unable to produce digestive enzymes. Is it possible to restore organ function? Link l provides an overview of methods for pancreas reconstruction.

How is treatment done in children?

What to do if a child has an enlarged pancreas? Diet is the basis of treatment.

Parents need to make sure that their child’s diet does not contain foods that contribute to the exacerbation of the disease.

If the course of the disease is mild, the pain will go away after normalization of nutrition.

When a tumor or acute pancreatitis is diagnosed, treatment with medications and surgery is necessary. But even in this case, proper nutrition is of great importance. It is important that it facilitates the work of the pancreas as much as possible.

In addition to the diet, the doctor may prescribe:

  • Cryotherapy to reduce organ swelling.
  • Inhibitors that suppress the activity of the pancreas.
  • Hormonal treatment.
  • Antihistamines.
  • Preparations containing enzymes that normalize the functionality of the gland.

By independently determining the method of treatment for an enlarged pancreas, you risk worsening the child’s condition.

Acute pancreatitis and tumors are reasons for surgical interventions. A timely operation saves a life.

How to eat properly with an enlarged pancreas?

The diet for a child with an enlarged pancreas should be gentle. The diet of a child with inflammation of the digestive organs should include the following foods:

  • Bread (day-old or crackers).
  • Soups with oatmeal, barley, rice, semolina. Water or unsaturated vegetable broth can be used as broth for them.
  • Cream soup made from boiled meat.
  • Lean meat prepared by boiling.
  • Steamed cutlets.
  • Lean fish soufflé.
  • Porridge with milk.
  • Puddings cooked in a steamer.
  • Fresh cottage cheese from a pack.
  • Steam omelette.
  • Soft-boiled egg.
  • Vegetable puree.
  • Butter.
  • Sweet apples baked in the oven.
  • Weakly infused tea, jelly, compote.
  • Sausages.
  • Canned foods.
  • Sweets (ice cream, confectionery).
  • Fresh sweet pastries.
  • Alcohol.
  • Smoked products.
  • Spices.

If you consult a doctor in time if you have a disease, you can avoid surgery by treating the disease with diet and medications.

Video on the topic

Subscribe to our Telegram channel @zdorovievnorme

Chronic inflammation of the pancreas is extremely rare in children under 14 years of age. The reactive form is more common in childhood. Reactive pancreatitis in children is caused by an intestinal infection or food poisoning. Regardless of the cause of inflammation, the first condition for a quick recovery will be to provide the child with the correct dietary intake.

A child with pancreatitis needs to choose a diet that completely eliminates the increased burden on digestion. The nature of the diet depends on the form and clinical characteristics of the disease.

Acute course of the disease

You will have to follow the diet for a month. You will need to exclude foods from your diet that can cause the condition to worsen. After the specified period, subject to persistent improvement in the child’s condition, it is permissible to slightly expand the child’s diet. For the next 5 years, you are supposed to stick to table No. 5.

Violation of the diet and rough foods provoke an exacerbation and relapse of the inflammatory process in the child. If over the past 5 years the baby has not had repeated clinical signs of pancreatitis, he is considered recovered. In the future, parents should remember about the child’s predisposition to gastrointestinal pathology, paying attention to the disease.

Chronic sluggish course

A strict diet with dietary restrictions is prescribed during the period of exacerbation of the pathological process. During remission, a number of foods that worsen the child’s health are excluded from the diet.

Reactive pancreatitis

If the inflammation is reactive, a strict diet is prescribed for a week. The exacerbation passes in 2-3 days. After 7 days, it is recommended to gradually switch to a diet in accordance with the child’s age. Nutrition reveals restrictions similar to the acute form of the pathology.

If you do not follow a diet, pancreatitis cannot be cured completely. The subsidence of acute clinical symptoms is the maximum achievable threshold. It is necessary to limit the child’s nutrition from the first hours of the onset of clinical symptoms. It is mandatory to undergo examination by a doctor. Based on the results, the pediatrician or pediatric gastroenterologist will prescribe appropriate treatment and diet.

General principles of nutrition

A diet for reactive pancreatitis in children allows you to relieve the gastrointestinal tract and reduce the load on the digestive organs. The basic principles of nutrition are to create a mechanical, chemical, temperature protective regime for the stomach. This principle is fundamental when creating any diet.

  1. Meals are fractional. A sick baby should be fed 5 times a day. The intervals between feedings should remain equal in time. The serving size is modest, allowing you to reduce the load on the diseased organ and reduce pain.
  2. The first weeks after the onset of an exacerbation, food is indicated in the form of purees or semi-liquid.
  3. It is recommended to serve dishes boiled or steamed, baked in the oven without crust.
  4. Food is offered slightly warm or at room temperature. Too hot or cold food will worsen the child’s condition.
  5. The diet is provided rich in protein. This is achieved by increasing the amount of fish, meat, and cottage cheese. Carbohydrates and fats are limited.

In the acute period of the disease, treatment is carried out according to the traditional principle - fasting, cold and rest. During the first 2-3 days, it is necessary to offer the child a minimum amount of food. Complete fasting is not recommended for young children.

The child is urgently hospitalized in serious condition. In a hospital setting, parenteral nutrition is prescribed through intravenous drips.

What needs to be completely excluded

Regardless of the stage and form of the disease, baby food does not include the following products:

Acute course of the disease

If the course of pancreatitis in a child is acute, it is necessary to exclude the following foods:

  1. Ice cream.
  2. Condensed milk.
  3. Sweet highly carbonated drinks.
  4. Pickles and marinated dishes, sauerkraut.
  5. Canned foods and pates.
  6. Strong, rich broths made from fatty meats and fish.
  7. Sour varieties of fruits and berries and juices from them.
  8. Vegetables containing coarse fiber - cabbage, radish, eggplant, garlic.
  9. Porridge made from pearl barley or millet.
  10. Fatty meats - goose, duck, pork, lamb.
  11. Fatty varieties of sea and river fish.
  12. Confectionery and baked goods.
  13. Nuts.
  14. Chocolate and cocoa in any form.

After relief of reactive pancreatitis, it is allowed to introduce small doses of the listed products into the children’s diet, rarely and little by little. Vegetables and fruits are best served baked and peeled. It is preferable to feed the child with pureed or semi-liquid food.

Sample menu for a child with pancreatitis

On the first day of an acute illness, it is necessary to limit the child’s menu as much as possible - give the baby weak tea or a weak rosehip solution. With persistent vomiting, the risk of dehydration develops. In this case, emergency hospitalization and administration of parenteral nutrition through intravenous drips are necessary.

On the second day, the baby is fed according to the following menu:

On the third or fourth day, the patient is gradually given mashed potatoes with the addition of a few tablespoons of milk. Butter is added to the puree already on the 5th day. The amount of oil does not exceed half a teaspoon. The diet for pancreatitis in children, starting from 4-5 days, includes the following menu.

  • For breakfast, you can give your baby pureed diet cottage cheese.
  • The lunch menu will consist of vegetable soup with rice or buckwheat. The main course is served with steamed beef or chicken meatballs. You can wash down your lunch with tea or compote.
  • The afternoon snack will consist of soufflé and baked apple.
  • For dinner, the child will eat porridge without sugar and with a small amount of butter.
  • At night, the patient can drink a glass of jelly.

Perhaps the child will agree to such a menu reluctantly. The adult’s task will be to feed the child 5 times a day. Otherwise, a long break between feedings will cause the condition to worsen. It is necessary to persuade the baby and explain that he will recover more quickly with such a feeding regimen.