Rickets in children: symptoms and treatment, prevention

If metabolic processes are disturbed, various deviations are formed in the child's body. For the development of the skeletal system, calcium-phosphorus metabolism plays an important role. With the appearance of hypocalcemia of any etiology, the symptoms of musculoskeletal pathologies are manifested. The main manifestation is rickets in children. Symptoms and treatment will be considered in our article.

What is a pathology?

Rickets is usually diagnosed in babies under two years of age. Most of the children among the sick are preterm and are breast-fed. The disease is associated with a lack of vitamin D and impaired calcium metabolism.

The pathology itself does not pose a danger to the baby’s life, but the lack of an effective and timely treatment will lead to negative consequences that will remain for life: skeleton deformities, flat feet, malocclusion and others.

The essence of the disease is as follows:

• Calcium deficiency in the bones makes them soft. Any load leads to deformation. Lack of important trace elements provokes disturbances in the work of other internal organs.
• The disturbed balance of trace elements leads to the attachment of bacterial and fungal infections. To correct the situation, the body enhances the work of the parathyroid glands, which leads to leaching of calcium from the bones. This only exacerbates the situation. A lack of vitamin D not only provokes the symptoms of rickets in children, but also a disorder of all types of metabolism.

Causes of the disease

All causes of rickets can be divided into three groups:

1. Deficiency of vitamin D in the female body during the period of bearing the baby.
2. Deficiency in the child's body after birth.
3. Violation of the absorption of calcium and vitamin D in the digestive tract of the child.

The formation of the musculoskeletal system of the fetus is completely dependent on the diet of the mother. Improper nutrition with a low content of vitamin D, phosphorus and calcium leads to pathologies in the skeleton of the child.

During normal pregnancy, the body of the newborn has a certain supply of these substances. To prevent rickets (photos of symptoms in children confirm the severity of the pathology), it is necessary to ensure breastfeeding or additional intake of vitamin D.

The following factors can provoke a baby’s symptoms of rickets after birth:

• Vitamin D deficiency in breast milk.
• Artificial feeding with mixtures with a low content of substances important for the formation of the musculoskeletal system.
• Tight swaddling babies. Now it is practically not practiced, but this reason cannot be discounted, since it is this fact that is a provocateur of the development of rickets.
• Taking anticonvulsants.
• Feeding with cow's milk, and it is poorly absorbed by the digestive tract of the baby.
• Untimely introduction of complementary foods. By six months, it is important to introduce vegetable and meat purees into the baby’s diet. The predominance of cereals in the children's diet, especially semolina, contributes to the formation of a deficiency of minerals.
• Symptoms of rickets in children 3 years old can be observed against the background of the predominance of plant foods in the diet, and vitamin D is absorbed much worse from it.
• Inadequate stay in the fresh air. This is especially affected by children born in the autumn-winter period.
• Chronic diseases of the digestive tract. For example, enteritis leads to a violation of the absorption process of many substances, which causes the appearance of symptoms and signs of rickets in children.
• The presence of kidney disease.
• A large concentration in the body of lead, strontium, chromium. They have a destructive effect on bone structures.
• Hereditary features of low bone density.
• Endocrine Disorders
• Prematurity. The appearance of the baby ahead of time is often the trigger for the development of rickets.

In addition to obvious reasons, several risk factors can be distinguished:

• Large body weight of the newborn. This requires an increased amount of nutrients, vitamins and minerals.
• Multiple pregnancy. Developing babies in the womb are deficient in phosphorus and calcium.
• The dark color of the skin. It is proved that such children under the influence of ultraviolet rays produce much less vitamin D.

With a combination of several causes or provoking factors, the likelihood increases that the symptoms of rickets in children will appear.

Features of metabolic failure in the body

Given the features of metabolic processes, signs of rickets are also distinguished.

1. Calcium deficiency causes a calcium-penic form of rickets, which is manifested by deformation of bone structures. Neuromuscular irritation is expressed, heart rhythm and sleep are disturbed. This form is characterized by a rapid course and a catastrophic decrease in calcium in the blood and serum.
2. The phosphorus deficiency form is noted by lethargy of the child, lethargy, and a decrease in muscle tone. Dystrophic bone changes are caused by the rapid proliferation of osteoid tissue.
3. A mild form of calcium-phosphorus deficiency is manifested by small bone deformations, neuromuscular disorders are barely noticeable or absent.

Stages of development of rickets

If the pathology proceeds without complications, then several periods of development are distinguished:

1. Elementary.
2. The height of the symptoms.
3. Repair.
4. Recovery.

Each stage is characterized by the manifestation of its symptoms and signs.

The first manifestations of rickets

Mommies can notice the first manifestations of pathology already in their monthly baby. The symptom of rickets in infants, which is a bald spot on the back of the head, is clearly visible in the photo below.

The first signs are:

• The kid loses his appetite.
• Sleep is disturbed.
• Heavy sweating, especially in a dream.
• The stool is broken, constipation is replaced by diarrhea.
• The child trembles with loud sounds.
• Irritability appears.
• A receding hairline appears on the back of the head. Such symptoms are rickets in infants in the initial stage. If you start timely therapy, then there will be no negative consequences for the child's body.

If untreated, the disease progresses, and other signs appear:

• The child becomes inactive, muscles lose their tone. The kid hardly holds the head, cannot roll over, sits poorly.
• Teeth growth is inhibited.
• The fontanel is poorly overgrown.
• It is difficult to rise to the legs, so the kids begin to walk late.
• Belly swells.
• All the symptoms of rickets in children progress. The photo below shows the curved legs.
• The disturbed metabolism of trace elements leads to the appearance of signs of deviations in the functioning of internal organs: the liver grows, the cardiovascular system suffers.
• The child not only lags behind in growth, but also suffers from his mental development.

The height of the disease is characterized by chin trembling in the baby. But even these symptoms of rickets in children under one year old quickly disappear if you make a diagnosis and start therapy.

Degrees of disease

There are several degrees of rickets:

1. The first is considered the easiest. Small changes in the bones of the skull are observed, the arms are slightly curved. The psychomotor development of the child does not suffer, hypotension and a decrease in the level of calcium in the blood are noted.
2. The second one. Bone deformities are pronounced, there is a lag in motor skills, lesions in the nervous system, disturbances in the digestive and cardiovascular systems are observed. Most often, such symptoms of rickets in children after a year are observed.
3. 3 degree as severe as possible. There are multiple bone deformities. Diagnosed with severe anemia, disorders in all organ systems, a lag in the development of the child. Curved clavicles, legs are clearly visible, the stomach is flattened, and the head takes an angular shape with a large frontal protrusion.

In severe form, many babies refuse a breast or a bottle with a mixture, since sucking reflexes are lost.

It is important to remember that psychosomatics can be treated, and severe dentoalveolar defects and skeleton deformation will remain forever.

Rare forms of rickets

As a rule, the disease begins to manifest itself a few months after the birth of the baby. We single out several forms that are rare.

1. Congenital rickets. The baby is already born with all the manifestations of pathology. Development occurs against the background of malnutrition of the future mother, diseases of her endocrine and skeletal system.
2. Late form. Symptoms of rickets in a child of 5 years are manifested. There is increased sweating, decreased appetite, anemia, leg pain and deformity.

According to statistics, rickets is most often diagnosed in babies up to a year old, much less often in two-year-old children, and very rarely at 3-4 years of age.

Treatment of rickets

Symptoms of rickets in children will not go away on their own. Only effective treatment will help get rid of the manifestations of the disease and normalize the body. For successful therapy, the following principles are important:

1. Daily walks with a child in the fresh air. Ultraviolet has a therapeutic effect on the body, increasing the synthesis of calciferol.
2. Taking medications. The doctor prescribes medicines containing vitamin D. The dosage should be selected only by a specialist. The saturation of the body with vitamin is no less dangerous than its deficiency.
3. Balanced diet. If the baby is only breastfed, then mom should reconsider her diet. If complementary foods are introduced, it is imperative to ensure the availability of products containing vitamin D.
4. Physiotherapeutic treatment. UV irradiation procedures can increase the density of bone tissue in a child and improve the general condition of the child. All procedures should be prescribed only by a doctor.

Self-medication is unacceptable to eliminate the symptoms of rickets in children up to a year. The photos presented above confirm the seriousness of the pathology.

Drug therapy

Such treatment involves taking medications containing vitamin D. The most common among them is Aquadetrim. The medicine does not accumulate in the children's body and is well excreted by the kidneys.

The dosage is selected in each case individually, taking into account the severity of the symptoms of rickets in children. But some mothers note that with the start of treatment, allergic reactions are possible. What to do in this case?

In such situations, the doctor prescribes oily solutions of vitamin D3:

• Wiganthol.
• Videin.
• "Devisol."

Oil preparations rarely provoke allergies, but there is another minus - such drugs are not recommended to be prescribed in the presence of dysbiosis in the baby or disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.

Regardless of the type of medication, the dosage should be prescribed only by your doctor. An overdose is dangerous, and you can suspect it by the following symptoms:

• Loss of appetite.
• The child becomes lethargic.
• Nausea and vomiting appear.
• Cramps.
• Difficulty breathing.
• Slow heart rate.

When such body reactions appear after taking vitamin D, they stop giving the baby medicine. This must be reported to the doctor.

Prove the danger of rickets in children and photos of symptoms. Treatment is possible only with preparations containing vitamin D. Currently, it is impossible to get rid of the pathology using other means. All of them can act only as an auxiliary treatment.

There is a biologically active supplement "Calcid", but it is good for prevention, and with pronounced symptoms of rickets a positive result with its help is difficult to achieve.

Nonspecific therapy

Such treatment is aimed at improving the absorption of calcium in the body. For this purpose, appoint:

• An aqueous solution of "Sodium Citrate."
• "Dimephosphone."
• "Potassium Orotate."

If the trace element is reduced, then Calcium Gluconate will help. It is important to take medications during the treatment period to strengthen the body. Suitable complexes with vitamin C and B.

If the baby has pronounced symptoms of rickets, the doctor prescribes large doses of vitamin D. In this case, the importance of taking calcium supplements is difficult to overestimate, because there is a danger of a sharp decrease in the mineral in the blood, and this is fraught with convulsions.

Power Features

If the first symptoms of rickets in children are detected and treatment is prescribed, then do not forget to review the diet. Given that it is with food that all important vitamins and minerals enter the body, it is important to adhere to the following recommendations:

1. If rickets is found in infants, then complementary foods are given to such babies earlier than healthy ones. It is better not to abuse fruit purees, but include mashed meat, liver, chicken egg yolk in the menu.
2. Porridge can be given to the child once a day and it is better to cook it on a vegetable broth.
3. It is useful to give the baby puree of carrots and zucchini. The first fruit puree should be apple. Start with half a teaspoon and bring to 150 grams by six months.
4. If the baby receives artificial mixtures, then 10-15 drops of lemon juice should be given per day. Vitamin C contained in it contributes to better absorption of trace elements and regulates the parathyroid gland.
5. Fatty foods are minimized, an excess of lipids reduces the absorption of mineral salts.

In addition to drug therapy and good nutrition, every day the child should be in the fresh air for at least 2 hours. In this case, it is not necessary to keep the baby in open sunlight, it is even harmful. It is enough if it is in the shade of trees.

Folk remedies against rickets

If you find symptoms of rickets in children under one year of age, you can use some folk tips:

• Useful baths with the addition of a decoction of needles. In the bath, just add a teaspoon of coniferous broth per liter of water. The procedure takes 10-15 minutes.
• If the baby is sluggish, then salt baths are recommended. To do this, take 2 tablespoons of salt per 10 liters of water, preferably sea salt, but ordinary will do. After the procedure, be sure to rinse the baby with clean water.
• With a calcium deficiency for children after a year, you can use a composition that contains: finely chopped eggshell, a quarter cup of lemon juice and 200 ml of water. Give the child before meals.

Recipes of traditional medicine can not act as independent therapy methods. They can only be used as auxiliary.

The consequences of complicated rickets

If the disease proceeds in a complicated form, it is late identified, and the treatment is ineffective, then catastrophic consequences can be expected:

• Spinal curvature and hump formation.
• A narrowing of the pelvis, which leads to the development of dysplasia.
• Flat feet.
• Crooked legs.
• The shape of the head becomes asymmetric.
• Outgrowths and tubercles form on the bones.
• The liver and spleen increase in size.
• Looseness appears in the joints.

To prevent the consequences that are terrible for the baby’s health, one can only be promptly diagnosed and have effective therapy.

Prevention of rickets

Above, we examined the symptoms and treatment of rickets in children. Pathology prevention is very important. It is she who will help to avoid a serious illness. You need to start immediately after the woman has learned the good news that she will soon become a mother. Prevention in this interesting position should be as follows:

• Observe the daily routine.
• Provide the body with a good rest.
• Spend enough time outdoors every day.
• Balance the diet and make sure that there are foods on the table that contain all the important trace elements and vitamins.
• If there are indications, do not refuse to take vitamin D in the last stages of pregnancy.

Unfortunately, even prevention cannot guarantee 100% that the baby will never encounter symptoms of rickets. Therefore, prevention should be continued after the birth of the crumbs. It will consist of the following activities:

1. Provide the baby with breastfeeding, but at the same time, mom should not forget about her full and rational nutrition.
2. If breastfeeding is not possible, then with the help of a pediatrician choose the most balanced and high-quality milk mixture.
3. Provide motor mode. Tight swaddling is already a thing of the past, from birth, the baby should be able to freely move its arms and legs, because movements stimulate the formation of bone tissue.
4. Regularly massage your baby and do gymnastics. Normal exercises and exercises on fitball are suitable.
5. Adhere to from the first days of a certain daily regimen.
6. Carry out tempering procedures, but this should be regular. The exception is the days when the baby is sick.
7. Daily walks in the fresh air.
8. For preventive purposes, take vitamin D, but at the dosage recommended by the doctor.
9. If the baby was born prematurely, then two weeks after the birth, Ergocalciferol is prescribed by the course, then the citrate mixture and ultraviolet irradiation.

In children of 2 years, the symptoms of rickets are already most pronounced if the pathology is not detected in the early stages and appropriate therapy is not carried out. This deviation arises from the fault of the disturbed metabolism of minerals and vitamins, therefore it is easily treatable. It is important only for parents to pay attention to the health of their babies and pay attention to any suspicious symptoms.