Parents worry about the health of their child from morning to evening. They are ready to purchase a variety of drugs, give vitamin crumbs to the baby and consult the most famous pediatricians, but still most of the mothers and dads miss the first symptoms of rickets in infants and older children. Most often, it seems to parents that in our century of developed medicine this disease has long ceased to manifest itself. However, in fact, the signs and symptoms of rickets are found in every third baby, and in the world they are affected at different ages by up to sixty percent of children. It is noteworthy that even adults are faced with the manifestations of such a disease, but still, in the vast majority of cases, rickets are prone to children under one year old. If the problem is not given due attention, then it will only worsen, and by the age of three it will leave consequences that can no longer be eliminated. From our article you will learn what are the symptoms of rickets in children under 3 years of age, as well as how to deal with this disease and what is its prevention.
In detail about rickets
Almost all parents perceive the symptoms of rickets as something related to one disease. However, do not treat him that way. Pediatricians consider rickets as a set of metabolic problems that impede the absorption of calcium in the body. Therefore, it is quite natural that the initial symptoms of rickets are associated with the bone structure of the child. The cause of the disease is a lack of vitamin D, which allows you to synthesize and maintain calcium in a healthy body, which goes to build and strengthen fast-growing bones.
In connection with the dynamics and characterization of the problem, pediatricians often call it a “disease of a growing organism”, because the more actively the baby grows, the greater the likelihood that he will encounter rickets.
Experts know that the disease develops very slowly and, unfortunately, often runs unnoticed even for the most attentive mothers and fathers. But if you look at the first symptoms of rickets (we will give photos of problem children in the article a little later), then many changes will become irreversible and it will be almost impossible to return the baby to a healthy life. After all, the crumbs will be affected by the nervous and endocrine systems, many internal organs and the musculoskeletal system. But early diagnosis of the disease gives almost one hundred percent guarantee for a complete cure. Moreover, you do not have to make titanic efforts.
It is noteworthy that the first problems of rickets were described in England in the seventeenth century. Then, only the curvature of the spine, as a result of which a characteristic hump formed, was considered the main symptoms of rickets. In the future, the disease was studied in more detail and its other symptoms revealed, as well as signs and treatment methods.
Risk groups
Not every baby can get rickets, so pediatricians identify risk groups, children of which have a higher chance of encountering this problem. First of all, premature babies are included here. They are lightweight and most often their body is weakened, which ultimately in many cases does not make calcium obtained with food easily digestible.
Also, babies who are breast-fed are at risk of developing rickets. The fact is that babies receiving breast milk are more protected. Together with food, all the necessary vitamins and minerals get into their body, but the “artificers” are not always lucky with the mixture. Unadapted mixtures can not provide crumbs with vitamin D and other useful substances.
If your baby was born in the cold season, then he is also at risk. After all, such kids practically do not receive the sunshine they need for their development, and walking in the fresh air is often impossible or very very limited in time.
Even in the category described by us fall children living in adverse conditions. If they are not provided with proper care, then it is likely that the baby will get rickets, the initial symptoms of which can appear as early as the third week of life.
Causes of the disease
Not always getting at risk is a synonym for rickets, subject to certain rules your baby has every chance of avoiding the disease. Therefore, it is worthwhile to carefully study the causes of the problem, which, by the way, are quite a lot.
The first doctors include non-compliance with the daily regimen and insufficient stay in the fresh air. In the first month of life, under favorable weather conditions, the child can spend up to two and a half hours a day on the street. The first walk is limited to half an hour and further increases. In the summer, it will be useful to organize air baths for the baby, so he will receive the necessary amount of sun. But do not forget that the baby should in no case be in direct sunlight.
Do not slow down the movement of the newborn with tight swaddling, it limits the motor abilities of the baby and prevents it from developing. As a result, the bones are constantly in the same position, which, in turn, lowers the amount of calcium available for the skeleton.
Digestive disorders also lead to the appearance of the first symptoms of rickets at a very young age. These include frequent regurgitation, constipation and diarrhea. Parallel to this category, pediatricians include serious diseases of the digestive tract.
Quite often, children prone to regular colds suffer from rickets. Reduced immunity does not allow metabolic processes in the body to take its course, which becomes the cause of rickets symptoms.
If vasoconstrictor drugs are prescribed for the baby, then it is likely that you will encounter rickets. Drugs in this group are often the cause of its occurrence in infants up to a year or older.
Parents are always happy when the baby quickly puts on weight. This is considered one of the characteristics of a normally developing child. But it is worth considering that a large body weight is a certain load on the bone skeleton and requires a high content of calcium in the body.
Symptoms of Rickets
We have already listed the causes of the disease, but in addition to them, each parent must know how it manifests itself at the initial stage. Pediatricians advise to be very attentive to the crumbs at the end of the first month of life in order to identify the problem in time and report their suspicions to the doctor.
Symptoms of the initial period of rickets are as follows:
- Decreased appetite. A newborn suddenly stops eating his usual serving of milk or mixture. At the same time, he gets tired much faster and the feeding time is significantly reduced.
- Causeless concern. Parents often notice that the baby becomes very restless, reacts with a startle to sharp sounds and light, gets scared of any strangers and is constantly naughty, not allowing her father and mother to even rest a bit. All of these symptoms can be the first bell indicating rickets.
- Problems with night and daytime sleep. If the baby has stopped sleeping well, often wakes up and shivers, crying loudly, these are obvious symptoms of rickets in infants.
- Increased sweating. Often, the disease manifests itself in this way. The kid even sweats heavily in cool weather, while an unpleasant sour aroma appears. Since the baby is wet all the time, there is a high probability of diaper rash, which further increases the baby's anxiety.
- Scorching hairs on the occipital part of the head. Since the baby becomes extremely nervous and constantly sweats, his hair rubbing against the pillow quickly falls off and becomes sloppy, very different from healthy.
- The appearance of problems with the stool. If you do not change the daily diet of the newborn, but for some reason the baby began to suffer from constipation or, conversely, diarrhea, then be sure to consult a doctor. You may already have rickets.
Pediatricians say that at this stage the easiest way to defeat the disease. Subject to all recommendations, it will pass without a trace and will in no way prove itself in the future. Otherwise, the problem will worsen.
Course of the disease
The first symptoms of rickets in newborns, which we described, in the absence of treatment will replenish with new and more severe. It will be quite difficult for parents not to notice them, because they are manifested by a clear lag in development.
The muscle tone weakens in the baby, it ceases to actively move, and begins to roll and crawl much later than other babies. For example, the symptoms of rickets in children under 1 year old can be expressed in the fact that they do not want to walk independently and do not even attempt to do so. Such kids can only go to one and a half to two years.
Softening of the bones of the skull also occurs, which leads to a later closure of the fontanel and a change in the shape of the skull. It becomes flattened and as if extended, and noticeable tubercles appear in the frontal part.
In parallel, the child is constantly tormented with bloating, and digestive problems only multiply and worsen.
Severe forms of the disease
If you look at the photo with the symptoms of rickets, it will become clear that the disease goes into a serious stage after a few years. At this stage, treatment will take enough time, and delay will deprive the child of a chance for a normal and healthy life.
To this extent rickets can reach 3 years. Symptoms can be listed as follows:
- Serious deformations of the skeleton. The child forms a curvature of the limbs, especially noticeable on the legs. The shape of the chest also changes, it becomes narrower with protruding bones. The pelvis also narrows, in some cases it’s even hard for children to move around.
- Late teething. A child with a severe degree of rickets much later than his peers begins to eat solid food. This is due to the fact that his teeth sometimes erupt only by two or three years.
- The skull is finally deformed and in the future will no longer be able to take its original shape.
- Problems with internal organs. Children with rickets constantly experience difficulty breathing and tachycardia, and an enlarged liver does not cope well with its basic functions.
Quite often, the symptoms of rickets during the height of the disease become difficulties associated with ordinary actions. For example, a child loses the opportunity to sit down without the help of adults, and you can completely forget about trying to walk and run for a long time.
Rickets Prevention
Any disease is easier to prevent than to treat later, and it is necessary to start doing this from the moment of pregnancy. A woman in the process of bearing a baby should fully eat, without limiting herself in food. Some ladies are so afraid of gaining weight during pregnancy that they manage to stick to a diet for nine months. As a result, the expectant mother has a deficiency of vitamin D, which from her body must enter the fetus. Nature is arranged so that it is in this way that the crumbs can stock up on the necessary amount of vitamin. During pregnancy, he accumulates it and after birth begins to actively spend its reserves. If a woman limited herself in food, then the baby will simply have nowhere to take the vitamin necessary to prevent rickets.
For the same reason, a full-fledged diet and nursing mothers should not be neglected. Breast milk is a very valuable product for the health of crumbs, as it contains everything it needs for development. Poor nutrition of the mother will not allow the baby to receive such an important vitamin D.
In the totality of preventive measures, pediatricians without fail include daily walks, massage, hardening and swimming. All these procedures strengthen the immunity of the newborn and prevent rickets. However, it is not always possible to avoid the disease even with proper care, in which case it is worth relying on its early diagnosis.
How to identify the disease?
If you suspect rickets, then be sure to share them with your pediatrician during your next visit. After talking with you, he will carefully examine the child and make a diagnosis, evaluating the characteristic signs of the disease. In some controversial cases, a number of laboratory tests are prescribed.
Most often, the baby will need to donate blood. A reduced content of phosphorus in it and, conversely, an increase in some other substances is a confirmation of the diagnosis. In Soviet times, doctors also prescribed a urine test. She gathered in a special way, but in recent years, this technique is practically not used.
It is possible to make an accurate diagnosis after x-rays, but they are not always taken, since there is a danger of harming the baby’s health by such a study. If you are still assigned to take pictures, then do not refuse. On them it will be perfectly noticeable what tissue grows on the skeleton of the baby - bone or connective. The latter is in excess on the bones with rickets, this makes them grow incorrectly, makes them brittle and brittle.
The current level of development of medicine allows you to determine rickets without an x-ray study. He is successfully replaced by computed tomography, on the apparatus, the doctor will be able to analyze the condition of the bones and make the correct diagnosis.
Disease treatment
If your crumbs have been diagnosed with rickets, then be prepared for a comprehensive treatment. Only a combination of different procedures will help to defeat the disease, which in the early stages will not even leave any trace in the child's body.
At any stage of rickets, the pediatrician will prescribe vitamin D. Its dosage is selected individually, and the duration of administration is usually at least six months.
Gymnastics and massage are an important factor in healing. Moms and dads spend gymnastic minutes with babies, and crumbs from one to three years of age can do it themselves under their supervision. In general, physical activity is aimed at maintaining muscle tone and consists of simple exercises. The kid needs to squat, bend legs, jump, play with the ball and so on.
Massage is carried out by both parents and specialists. For babies, stroking, rubbing, lightly tapping and kneading limbs will be enough. Such simple actions increase blood flow, restore metabolism and strengthen the muscular skeleton. The child will have to hire a massage therapist for more than a year, he needs more complex manipulations, which it will be difficult for parents to reproduce on their own.
If the disease has already passed from the initial stage, then the pediatrician will also add physiotherapy to the listed actions. It includes baths with salt, electrophoresis and paraffin wraps.
How to protect crumbs from rickets?
We already wrote about the prevention of the disease a little higher, but nevertheless some aspects concerning nutrition were not covered. Therefore, we will consider them in this section.
The risk groups listed at the beginning of the article include children who are breast-fed. But this does not mean at all that they will certainly face this problem. To reduce these risks to almost zero with good care, mothers should select milk formula fortified with vitamin D. Today they are widely represented in the baby food market, so parents will not have problems with the choice.
But older children must fully eat. Moms need to carefully think through the daily diet and make it as diverse as possible. A child under three years of age and older must receive different meat. This includes dishes from dietary and red meat (veal, chicken, turkey) in any performance. Eggs cannot be excluded from the diet, they should be given mainly in the form of omelet or boiled. Many parents avoid seafood and fish, considering them an allergen. But if you want to rid your baby of rickets, then these products are your best friends. It is recommended to steam fish and choose fatty varieties. Dairy products are also extremely important, here you can put on the table everything that the baby likes. The yogurts, sour milk, milk, butter, cheeses and cottage cheese “work” equally well against rickets.
Conclusion
But all that we have said will be meaningless in cases where the immediate cause of rickets has not been eliminated.Therefore, be sure to change the care of the baby, your and his nutrition, as well as the daily regimen. Only with this approach, after a few months of treatment, the situation will begin to change for the better, and your child will recover.