Symptoms and treatment of rickets in children

Rickets is considered to be a childhood disease, but if you do not take time to treat it, it can affect your physical and mental health, spoiling your entire adult life.

The problem of rickets has been known for several centuries, but it is still relevant today: in Russia, according to various studies of rickets, from 40 to 60% of children are ill.

In the article you will find the causes, types, symptoms, ways to prevent and prevent the development of rickets in children.

What is rickets and how does it manifest in children

Rickets is a consequence of a lack of phosphorus and calcium salts due to a violation of calcium-phosphorus metabolism in the body.

The appearance of the disease is almost always associated with a lack of vitamin D (lack of exposure to the sun and outdoor activity, maternal nutrition, improper formula for feeding).

As a result, the growth and development of bones is violated with all the ensuing consequences.

Rickets usually infect infants from two months to a year. Older children, adolescents and adults may experience the effects of rickets in the form of curvature of the legs, spine, flat feet, incorrect development of teeth and other bone defects.

Causes

In addition to the main factors leading to the development of the disease (vitamin D deficiency and calcium-phosphorus metabolism disorders), a few more can be mentioned:

• rapid growth of the body;
• metabolic disease;
• prematurity;
• unsuitable mixture for feeding;
• malnutrition of the mother with prolonged breastfeeding;
• malabsorption syndrome - a violation of absorption of nutrients in the intestines and, as a result, their loss;
• hereditary metabolic disorders of vitamin D;

Types of the disease and the symptoms of each of them

Classify the lesion in children is possible by the stage of the disease (initial, high heat, reparation, residual), in severity (light rickets, medium severity, severe) and in nature (acute, subacute, recurrent).

Stages of rickets

initial stage

Symptoms of the initial stage of rickets in infants are difficult to recognize. They appear quite early: at 2-4 months of life (in preterm infants - up to 1 month). On the appearance of the child manifestations of the disease may not be reflected in any way, but there are deviations in behavior: the child is capricious, shudders, worried.

Later the first serious sign appears - baldness on the back of the head. In rickets, children sweat violently, their sweat is characterized by an unnatural sour smell.

Hight

At this stage, the physiological changes in the child are clearly traced. There is a syndrome of the square head (asymmetric shape of the skull, with the occipital flattened, and the forehead begins to bulge - the so-called "Olympic forehead").

Changes in the chest, called the shoemaker's chest, are also traced at this stage. This is due to the seals that form at the junction of bone tissue with cartilage (rachitic beads).

The height of the disease is accompanied by the curvature of the child's legs (X-shaped and O-shaped legs), seals on the wrists (rachitic bracelets), curvatures of the spine (there is a so-called rickety hump), because of the weak sank muscles appears "frog stomach".

Reparations

This is the period of extinction of clinical manifestations of rickets. Signs of the active course of the disease disappear. The phosphorus content in the body is normalized, while calcium deficiency is still observed.

Residual signs

Appear at the age of two or three years after suffering rickets.

Among them we can distinguish:

• bone deformation;
• enlarged organs: liver and spleen;
• lack of appetite;
• anemia;
• unstable stools;
• violation of the nervous, muscular and circulatory system.

Degrees of severity of rickets

Easy (1 degree)

With mild disease, the bones are not seriously deformed, only a slight flattening of the occiput and a thickening of the tissues in growth zones can be observed.

Average (2nd degree)

At the second degree of rickets, even not very serious but distinct bone deformities (legs, chest, head, etc.) are already manifesting. Formed a "frog stomach muscle hypotension.

Heavy (3 degree)

At the last stage of the disease, due to the softening of the bone tissue, serious deformations occur, such as "shoemaker's chest" (or "chicken" chest), rachitic kyphosis (deformity of the spine), exophthalmos (displacement of the eyeball, which leads to bulging of the eyes), confluence the nose bridge.

Because of the delay in the development of motor and static functions, a child can not stand, sit, walk.

Flow pattern

Acute

Acute rickets can be associated with prematurity and usually occurs in children up to six months. In this case, can occur in full-term children, but with increased body weight.

Symptoms of acute rickets - osteoporosis and softening of the bones, resulting in deformation.

Subacute

Subacute rickets develop slowly and secretly. There is pronounced osteoid hyperplasia, anemia and muscle atony.

Recurrent

Recurrent is a disease whose symptoms occur again and again after the active stage of the disease subsides. It will continuously progress in the absence of treatment and prevention of relapse (or inadequate treatment).

Treatment of rickets in children

In the treatment of rickets, an individual approach to each child is practiced. It will depend on the age of the patient, the nature of the course and severity of the disease.

General recommendations for treatment include:

1. Balanced nutrition of the child. When breastfeeding, the mother should receive from the food all the necessary vitamins and trace elements, lead a healthy lifestyle. If breastfeeding is not possible, the baby needs to be fed with adapted mixtures of vitamin D.
2. Compliance with sleep and wakefulness, walking outdoors.
3. Special massage, children's gymnastics.
4. Proper care of the child.

Separately, vitamin D2 is treated in this dosage:

1. Rickets of the first degree - dosage up to 2-4 thousand. IU per day, the course is 6 weeks.
2. Rickets of the second degree - dosage from 4-6 thousand. IU per day, the course is 6 weeks.
3. Rickets of the third degree - dosage from 4-6 thousand. IU per day, the course is up to 8 weeks.

Children from three months instead of D2 can appoint 10-12 UFO sessions.

Additional therapies:

1. Coniferous baths (children over 5 months are allowed). To do this, dilute, a tablespoon of pine extract in 10 liters of warm water and bathe the baby for 5-10 minutes.
2. Salt baths (for children from 5 months). 100 grams of salt dilute in 10 liters of water and bathe the baby for 3-5 minutes.
3. Vitamins A, Groups B, C (the dose is prescribed by the doctor depending on the age of the child).

Attention! Do not self-medicate, strictly follow the doctor's instructions.

Prevention of rickets

Preventive measures to avoid rickets are carried out both before and after the birth of the child.

Much depends on the state of health and behavior of the mother before the birth of the child. Recommended nutrition is adequate, including the necessary amount of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, trace elements. In the fresh air you need to spend at least two hours a day.

High quality milk mother reduces the risk of the child's rickets. In milk there should be enough calcium and vitamin D. To achieve such results, it is recommended to take multivitamins, which the doctor will help to choose.

Timely introduced lure, massage, gymnastics, outdoor walks will also help to protect the baby from rickets.

If symptoms of rickets are detected, you should immediately consult a doctor, take a test and get the necessary treatment. Remember that the effects of rickets can spoil your child's health for life.