Mycoplasma pneumonia enters the high-incidence season. How can children prevent it correctly?

Recently, the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a series of reminders that respiratory infections, mainly caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae, are entering a high-incidence season. The early symptoms of Mycoplasma pneumoniae are similar to those of the common cold. If parents find that their children's cough lasts for a long time and anti-cold medicines are ineffective, they should be alert to the possibility of Mycoplasma infection and seek medical attention in time. To prevent Mycoplasma pneumonia in children, they should pay attention to maintaining personal hygiene, avoiding excessive fatigue, and undergoing regular health checks.

What is Mycoplasma pneumonia in children?

Mycoplasma pneumonia in children is a common respiratory infectious disease caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae. It is particularly prevalent among children and is the most common community-acquired pneumonia in children over 5 years old in my country. Because mycoplasma pneumonia is highly contagious, especially in crowded places such as schools and shopping malls, its transmission speed is even faster, bringing great impacts to the families of children and society. It is crucial to timely understand its cause, transmission route and effective prevention and treatment methods to maintain children's health.

How is Mycoplasma pneumonia transmitted in children?

Mycoplasma is a cell wall-less microorganism that is different from typical bacteria or viruses, but can cause serious respiratory infections. Mycoplasma pneumonia is mainly transmitted through droplets. Patients can spread the pathogen to others when they cough, sneeze, or communicate in close proximity. Mycoplasma pneumonia spreads very quickly, especially in environments with poor air circulation and dense crowds. It is common in gathering places such as schools and homes, and can easily cause cross-infection between classmates or siblings.

What are the common symptoms of Mycoplasma pneumonia in children?

The early symptoms of mycoplasma pneumonia are similar to those of the common cold, often manifested as low fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, etc. As the disease progresses, the child may have moderate to high fever. Persistent high fever indicates a serious condition, persistent dry cough, sore throat, and aggravated cough at night. A few patients will have a small amount of sputum, but usually without purulent secretions. Some children may also have respiratory symptoms such as chest pain and dyspnea, and even general discomfort such as headache and muscle aches. If parents find that their children's cough lasts for a long time and anti-cold medicines are ineffective, they should be alert to the possibility of mycoplasma infection and seek medical attention in time.

How to prevent Mycoplasma pneumonia in children?

Mycoplasma pneumonia is highly contagious, and preventive measures should start from personal hygiene and environmental hygiene.

1. Maintain personal hygiene

Develop the habit of washing hands frequently and wearing masks, avoid going to crowded and unventilated places, avoid close contact with patients, maintain good environmental hygiene, clean and disinfect, open windows for ventilation more than twice a day, and if you have symptoms, isolate yourself at home and seek medical treatment in time. You must also wear a mask, do not go to school when you are sick, and pay attention to coughing etiquette in public places.

2. Avoid overwork

Children's immune systems are not yet mature, so ensuring adequate rest and balanced nutrition intake can help improve immunity and reduce the risk of infection.

3. Regular health check-ups

For children with a history of recurrence, regular checkups are recommended, and protective measures should be strengthened during the peak influenza season so that potential health risks can be detected and addressed as early as possible.

How to treat Mycoplasma pneumonia in children?

For mycoplasma pneumonia in children, macrolide antibiotics such as azithromycin are often used for treatment. However, with the widespread use of this drug, the problem of drug resistance has become increasingly serious, reducing the efficacy of macrolide drugs. For this reason, tetracycline antibiotics, such as doxycycline and minocycline, have become an effective alternative in the case of macrolide resistance. They can effectively inhibit broad-spectrum antibacterial effects and have good efficacy. However, compared with first-line treatment drugs, tetracycline antibiotics have more side effects, so parents should follow the doctor's instructions during treatment and avoid drug abuse to reduce the side effects and risks of the drugs.

For severe Mycoplasma pneumonia, Shunyi Women's and Children's Hospital is able to carry out mature bronchoscopic lavage treatment and has completed the treatment of more than 2,000 cases.

Mycoplasma pneumonia in children is a respiratory infection that cannot be ignored. Scientific treatment and daily prevention are related to the health of children and the stability of the family. Parents should pay attention to their children's physical condition in daily life and take scientific preventive measures to reduce the harm to children's health, so that children can have a healthy and safe growth environment.