Pay Attention to the Children Who Get Sick Often

Frequent illnesses in children, especially those who go to kindergarten or school, are often considered normal. Pediatrics and Pediatric Allergy Specialist Prof. Dr. Hülya Ercan Sarıçoban pointed out that children who have 4 or more ear infections per year or 2 or more sinus infections per year should be evaluated for immunodeficiency.

A strong immune system is our most important weapon in the fight against diseases for all ages. However, the situation is slightly different in children born with congenital immunodeficiency. Although they are weaker in the fight against diseases, they may have to fight different diseases in their later lives. At this point, Yeditepe University Hospitals Pediatrics, Pediatric Immunology Specialist Prof. Dr. Hülya Ercan Sarıçoban, who said that parents should be very careful while observing children in every sense, said: "A simple cold should be cured with simple medicines in an average of 1 week. However, if it is necessary to use antibiotics for every disease, if breathers are used every time or if their eczema does not improve, if their tops are covered with fungi and viruses, it must be investigated whether there is a problem in the immune system. Stating that even late fall of the belly in newborn babies may be a symptom of immunodeficiency, Prof. Dr. Hülya Ercan Sarıçoban pointed out that a baby's belly should fall within 15 days, and if the belly did not fall in this process, it should be evaluated together with the immune system and further testing should be performed.

It is More Common in Societies with Frequent Consanguineous Marriages

Yeditepe University Kozyatağı Hospital Pediatrics, Pediatric Immunology Specialist Prof. Dr. Hülya Ercan Sarıçoban defines primary immunodeficiency as a group of diseases with infections that occur against bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites that develop due to a congenital genetic reason, and said, "About 500 different diseases that cause this problem have been identified. Its frequent and mild forms occur 1 in every 200 births, while its severe and rare types occur 1 in 10 000 births. As in our country, it is more common in societies where there are many consanguineous marriages."

Protection from Opportunistic Infections is Essential

Emphasizing that immunodeficiency is a genetic disorder, and it is not possible to correct it with what the person eats or drinks, Prof. Dr. Hülya Ercan Sarıçoban said, "The important thing at this point is to be protected from opportunistic infections caused by immunodeficiency. In order to achieve this, preventive treatments are required according to the type of disease."

Children Should Not Be in a Crowded Environment

Yeditepe University Hospital Pediatrics, Pediatric Immunology Specialist Prof. Dr. Hülya Ercan Sarıçoban said that because the immunity of the children in question is impaired to varying degrees, they should not be kept in crowded environments where the infection can easily spread, and explained the following about other points that parents should pay attention to: "It is also extremely important to make the vaccines on time in these children. However, some children with an immune deficiency cannot receive live vaccines such as measles, tuberculosis, chickenpox, or oral polio. Because the immune system of these children can be infected by the vaccine. Therefore, early diagnosis is of great importance. Especially in newborns, a diagnosis should be made before the tuberculosis vaccine is applied in the second month. It is important to look at lymphocyte values with at least a full blood count before the tuberculosis vaccine is given, especially if the parents are relatives of children who cannot leave the hospital for a long time after birth, who take antibiotics, who have eczema in their body, who have thrush in their mouth and who have unhealed diarrhea. Otherwise, widespread tuberculosis may develop and cause much more severe consequences by vaccinating the sick child in question."