Strep throat is an infection caused by the bacteria, streptococcus pyogenes. It would be unlikely for a baby or infant to get strep throat as they would have been given a natural immunity from their mother at birth. It is more common for a child over three years of age to get a strep infection.
Symptoms of Strep Throat
Common symptoms of strep throat in children:
a sore throat
abdominal pain
a bright red rash
difficulty swallowing
fever
chills
aches and pains
loss of appetite
swollen tonsils
white pus on tonsils
swollen glands
loss of energy
If left untreated, the bacteria grows stronger and can cause pneumonia, tonsillitis, kidney failure or rheumatic fever, some of which can be very serious and even fatal.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Strep Throat?
Your child's physician may take a rapid-strep test, which detects the bacteria that causes the infection in about ten minutes. These tests are not 100 percent accurate. If your physician suspects that the test is not accurate, he may send a culture out to a laboratory to be tested more extensively. What this means is a culture must be given time to grow and takes at least 24 hours before results are available to you and your physician.
If either of the tests come back positive, your child does have strep throat. Antibiotics will then be prescribed to clear up the illness.
Is it contagious?
This infection is extremely contagious and children who have contracted it should be kept home for at least 24 hours after taking the first dose of antibiotics. Be sure all of the antibiotic is taken as prescribed to prevent your child from having the infection return as a stronger, more resistant form of strep that may lead to more serious complications.
