With the development of society and the improvement of living standards, children today are generally taller. However, some children are shorter than their peers, and parents are worried about this. In addition to being affected by heredity, nutrition, disease and other factors, stature will also be affected by drugs. Pay special attention to the following types of drugs for children.
1. Adrenocortical hormone.
Common drugs include prednisone, methylprednisone, dexamethasone, etc., which are widely used in various diseases requiring anti-inflammatory and anti allergic treatment. Long term use of adrenocortical hormone will seriously affect the growth and development of children. It will inhibit the secretion of growth hormone in the body, causing the growth of children's height to slow down or even stagnate, resulting in osteoporosis, even necrosis of the femoral head and other consequences.
The main way for infants to contact hormones is through the mother's milk, through which hormones can enter the baby's body. If lactating women need to use corticosteroids for a long time, they should stop breastfeeding to avoid adverse effects of glucocorticoids in milk on infants. In clinic, some children need long-term hormone treatment due to disease. In this case, it is necessary to closely observe the adverse effects of hormones on growth and development, and take measures if necessary.
Special mention should be made of inhaled corticosteroids. Many parents are afraid to use inhaled corticosteroids for their children or stop using them because they are afraid of hormones. This is wrong. Inhaled corticosteroids are very effective drugs to prevent asthma attacks. The amount of absorbed blood is very small and has little impact on growth and development. On the contrary, children with severe symptoms of asthma do not receive formal treatment, which will lead to repeated and prolonged illness and inhibit the growth of children's height.
2. Quinolones.
The common ones are levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, moxifloxacin, etc., which are widely used in the treatment of various bacterial infections. These drugs have direct toxicity on articular cartilage, causing damage to the load-bearing articular cartilage, joint swelling and pain, and affecting the growth of bone in the limbs. These drugs can pass through the placenta and enter the milk, causing adverse effects on the fetus and infants. Therefore, pregnant women, breast-feeding women, and adolescents under 18 years of age with immature bones and joints are prohibited from using such drugs.
3. Antiepileptic drugs.
Valproic acid is a commonly used broad-spectrum antiepileptic drug, and has always been a traditional drug to control seizures in children. Long term use by children will reduce bone density and increase fracture risk. Therefore, patients who need to take the drug in a long-term and sufficient amount should regularly monitor blood calcium, vitamin D, bone density and other indicators, and timely supplement calcium and vitamin D, which can prevent and reduce bone damage caused by long-term use of valproic acid.
