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How to understand if a child has rickets?
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Rickets is a widespread disease of children of the first two years of life. This is a violation of phosphorus-calcium metabolism as a result of a lack of vitamin D in the body. To be more precise, not only a lack of vitamin D can cause rickets. Diseases of the kidneys, liver, lack of some other vitamins also contribute to the emergence of rickets. In addition to these factors, the inadequate amount of phosphorus and calcium leads to rickets, if their intake is reduced from the outside if their absorption in the gastrointestinal tract is disturbed. Especially often rickets occur in premature infants. Children of northern latitudes suffer from rickets much more often than southerners. This is due to the fact that vitamin D is formed in the skin under the influence of ultraviolet rays. Previously, irradiation with ultraviolet lamps was included in the rickets treatment regimen. But now it is already known that exposure to ultraviolet radiation on the body is far from as safe as it seems. And if you can not get away from the solar ultraviolet (you can even sunbathe in the shade, since ultraviolet rays can be reflected from the sand, walls of houses, etc.), ultraviolet irradiation with a lamp is forbidden both for pregnant women and children: carcinogenic effect on the skin of ultraviolet is well known.
In addition, the presence of babies in the sun is also dangerous because the dehydration is more rapid in young children, they are more often overheated, they suffer sun and heat strokes more often than older children.
The initial symptoms of rickets are many parents "glimpse." If the child began to sweat more, "heels" of hair begin to appear on the back of his head, and then a bald patch is formed - these are the first signs of rickets. If you do not begin to treat it at this stage, the process will go further, the muscle tone will decrease, the bones become soft. You may notice that a child who is constantly asleep on one side or on the back, deforms the skull - either it becomes flattened on one side or the occiput becomes flat. Another symptom of rickets is two tops. We will not list all the symptoms of the disease, but you must remember that the initial form of rickets, which borders on children in the middle latitudes, is a norm, requires treatment.
The main treatment of rickets is a sufficient (but not excessive) insolation in the summer, rational feeding, in which sufficient amount of vitamin D will enter the body of the child, and massage and gymnastics from two to three months of age. More severe forms of rickets should be treated by a doctor.
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