For many parents, the name of this disease causes panic. And the emotional state of those mothers who happened to hear the diagnosis of "rickets" is out of the question. Meanwhile, a disease caused by a deficiency of vitamin D is successfully treated if diagnosed at the initial stage. We will talk about the causes, symptoms and treatment of rickets in infants, as well as methods of its prevention, in our article. But first, find out what kind of disease it is and what its consequences are for a growing organism.
What is rickets?
This disease is characteristic of children in their first year of life. It occurs as a result of a malfunction in the metabolic processes between calcium and fluorine and is accompanied by violations in the formation and strengthening of the baby’s skeletal system. If you ignore the symptoms of rickets in infants, the disease negatively affects the work of all organs and systems of the body.
The main reason for the failure in calcium-phosphorus metabolism is a lack of vitamin D. It is just what is needed for proper absorption of calcium by the body. As a result, bone softening and deformation of the entire musculoskeletal system occur. If you do not conduct timely treatment, then the changes that have occurred will remain for the rest of your life.
The first symptoms of rickets in an infant are detected at 3 months or earlier. In general, this disease is more characteristic of children in the first year of life. But the causes of its occurrence are not always associated with a lack of vitamin D, but lie much deeper. And parents of children of the first year of life need to know about this in order to prevent the disease.
Causes of rickets in infants and symptoms
As mentioned above, the disease is caused by a lack of vitamin D (calciferol) in the baby's body, the main functions of which are:
- providing absorption of calcium by the cells of the intestinal mucosa;
- improving bone mineralization;
- ensuring normal calcium-phosphorus metabolism;
- increase immunity.
Under the influence of ultraviolet rays, vitamin D is independently produced by the body from provitamins. In addition, it is ingested with food. Its high content in sea fish, caviar and fish oil, dairy products, eggs, butter and cheese. With proper nutrition and sufficient exposure to the sun in an adult, the need for calciferol is fully compensated.
As for infants, the main causes of vitamin D deficiency are as follows:
- Low intake of calciferol with food. Children who are artificially fed with low calcium and phosphorus mixtures are more affected by vitamin D deficiency.
- Violation of the process of its natural production in the body due to insufficient exposure to the sun.
- Poor absorption of calciferol by the body. The causes of this condition are dysbiosis, lack of lactase, celiac disease, prolonged use of antiviral drugs and others.
- Genetic predisposition. At risk are boys, children born in the cold season, owners of blood group II.
- Complications during pregnancy. Inadequate nutrition, smoking, alcohol intake during gestation leads to metabolic disorders and malfunctions in the internal organs and systems of the baby.
- Premature birth. A premature baby does not receive these or those vitamins, as a result of which there is a deficiency.
It is difficult to determine the causes and symptoms of rickets in infants in the photo above. Therefore, it is not enough to make the correct diagnosis only by external signs. The disease must be confirmed by clinical and biochemical analyzes of blood, urine, etc.
External signs
If the baby was born with normal weight and on time, it is still too early to look for symptoms of rickets in babies at 2 months. At this age, vitamin D deficiency, if it occurs for one of the reasons listed above, still does not manifest itself. But this does not mean that you should not know about them.
The external signs of rickets include:
- manifestation of increased anxiety by the child, crying for no reason;
- shuddering at the sudden inclusion of light, when popping;
- the appearance of red spots with light pressure on the skin;
- profuse sweating with a sour smell;
- constantly wet palms and feet;
- curvature of the legs;
- cranial deformity;
- receding hairline on the back of the head.
Even with a greatly enlarged frontal part of the head in the baby, the symptoms and signs of rickets are not determined from the photo. A preliminary diagnosis must be confirmed by a clinical and biochemical blood test. In accordance with its results, adequate treatment is prescribed.
The first symptoms of rickets in infants
It will be very difficult to detect external signs of the disease in a breastfed baby before reaching the age of three months. Together with breast milk, it receives a sufficient amount of vitamin D, and its deficiency occurs only if calciferol is not absorbed by the body.
At the same time, at 4 months, it is possible to detect the following first symptoms of rickets:
- If increased anxiety and frequent crying can be confused with the manifestation of other diseases, then the sour smell of sweat and feces should alert mom. This symptom clearly indicates rickets in the baby.
- One of the common symptoms of the disease is the appearance of a receding hairline on the back of the head. At the same time, the fontanel does not close for a long time in the child, and the bones of the skull in the crown area soften. Above, you can see how the symptoms of rickets in a baby at 4 months old look in the photo.
- Muscle tone becomes weak. If earlier, in order to spread the arms and legs to the baby to the side, the mother needed to make some effort, then with rickets this will not be necessary.
- An indirect sign of the disease is late teething, especially if mom and dad had them in early childhood.
- One of the symptoms of rickets in infants is a developmental delay from peers. Mom should be alerted that the child does not hold his head by three months, does not roll on his stomach, does not try to sit down.
Symptoms of the disease in stages
In medical practice, there are three stages of development of rickets. Let us dwell on the symptoms characteristic of each of them:
- Initial stage. She is diagnosed in infants at two months of age and has a duration of 2-4 weeks. Symptoms of rickets at this stage are malfunctions of the central nervous system (irritation, cramps) and muscle tone. The behavior of the child changes in the opposite direction. He becomes more irritable or, conversely, lethargic. Along with this, there is increased sweating and skin itching, as a result of which the baby rubs his head on the pillow. The diagnosed disease is successfully treated and has no irreversible consequences.
- Stage of moderate severity. It will not be difficult to detect the symptoms of rickets in the baby at 4 months below. These include: rounding and protrusion of the abdomen; disproportionate head growth in relation to the body; fontanel enlargement; thickening of the wrists; weakness of the ligaments and muscles. Rickets at this stage requires a long and serious treatment. Responsibility for late treatment to the doctor lies entirely with the parents.
- Severe stage. Serious violations of bone and muscle tissue are noted. With the progression of the disease, the entire skeleton of the child is bent. Signs of the disease at this stage: developmental delay from peers; curvature of the legs in the form of the letter "X" or "O"; disproportionality of the trunk and head; indentation of the chest.
How is rickets diagnosed in infants?
For the correct diagnosis, the pediatrician conducts the following activities:
- carries out a visual examination to detect bone deformation and changes in the behavior of the child;
- prescribes blood and urine tests, the results of which can determine the level of hemoglobin, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus in the blood, creatinine and alkaline phosphatase activity;
- sends to the x-ray of the forearms and legs - allows you to detect a decrease in bone density;
- does an ultrasound scan.
In most cases, to confirm the symptoms of rickets in infants at 3 months, it is enough to get the results of a biochemical blood test. When comparing them with external signs, the doctor will be able to make the correct diagnosis and prescribe effective therapy.
Treatment of rickets in infants
Therapeutic measures are determined by the severity of the disease. But, regardless of this, it is impossible to cure it without proper nutrition, changing the regime of the day and taking medications. How to help your baby cope with sleep disturbances, increased anxiety, sweating and other symptoms of rickets (pictured)?
Treatment in infants necessarily includes the following measures:
- As for nutrition, for children under the age of 6 months, breast milk is an ideally balanced product for the content of vitamin D, calcium and phosphorus. It’s enough for mom to regularly eat meat, fish, dairy products, butter.
- For children older than 6 months, in the treatment of rickets at the initial stage, it is recommended to introduce mashed broccoli, cauliflower and zucchini as the first feeding. By agreement with the pediatrician, you can add butter to the diet ahead of schedule.
- To strengthen the musculoskeletal system, massage, fitball exercises and swimming in the pool are recommended.
- To increase tone with weakened muscles, hardening will be effective.
- Be sure to establish the regime of the day and adhere to it constantly. The baby should be protected from noise, harsh sounds and other annoying factors.
- For treatment, drugs are usually prescribed containing an aqueous ("Aquadetrim") or oil ("Vigantol") solution of vitamin D. The dosage and duration of administration are determined by the doctor based on the stage of the disease. After successful treatment, a prophylactic dose is prescribed.
In the treatment of rickets, it is recommended to simultaneously take vitamin complexes that increase the level of iron in the blood.
Disease prevention
Parents should remember that breast-fed infants have a minimized likelihood of rickets symptoms (pictured). Treatment for infants may not be necessary at all if the expectant mother responsibly treats her position. This means that the prevention of the disease begins from the first months of pregnancy. At this time, a woman needs to walk more in the fresh air, take moderate sun baths, drink vitamin complexes, eat foods rich in vitamin D.
Prevention of rickets after giving birth is:
- breastfeeding;
- regular walks in the fresh air;
- hardening;
- daily exercise (gymnastics);
- taking vitamin D in preventive doses from October to April;
- sunbathing (without contact with direct sunlight).
The consequences of the disease for children
With timely treatment, the symptoms of rickets in infants are successfully eliminated even at the initial stage. If the disease is left to chance, then its signs will only worsen every day. As a result, rickets will very quickly pass from the initial stage to the middle form. This will take only a few weeks. What are the consequences of rickets from infancy for children?
Among the most common of them are:
- Curvature of the joints of the lower extremities. The legs of children who have undergone rickets take the form of a wheel or bend inward and visually resemble the letter "X".
- Decreased immunity. This condition can be caused by a malfunction in metabolic processes occurring in the body.
- One of the consequences of rickets is scoliosis, which is usually diagnosed at a more mature age.
- As a result of a lack of vitamin D, the process of calcium absorption in the body is disrupted. In turn, this leads to the formation of caries, first on dairy, and then on permanent teeth.
- A narrow pelvis in women can also be a consequence of childhood rickets.
In order to prevent the development of the disease, it is recommended to take preventive measures in time, starting from the first months of pregnancy.
Symptoms of rickets in children according to Komarovsky
The famous pediatrician has his own opinion on this disease, its treatment and prevention. Dr. Komarovsky refers to the symptoms of rickets in infants:
- softening and thinning of the bones of the skull;
- an increase in the frontal and parietal tubercles;
- late teething with poor quality enamel;
- rickets (seals on ribs);
- Harrison groove (chest deformity in the form of a transverse deepening);
- bone deformation;
- pain or change in bone sensitivity;
- muscle hypotension;
- growth retardation;
- private fractures.
All of the above symptoms are not a reason to diagnose "rickets" without an x-ray and the results of a blood test to determine the level of vitamin D, calcium and phosphorus in the blood. It is impossible to determine the disease only by external signs.
Vitamin D in the body acts as a regulator of calcium and phosphorus metabolism, which are necessary for bone growth in a child. With its lack, rickets arise. When identifying the symptoms of the disease, Dr. Komarovsky recommends paying attention to skin color. The body of black people produces Vitamin D very poorly, so the risk of developing rickets is much higher.
The disease is most often diagnosed in children who are breast-fed using non-adapted infant formula. For prevention, Dr. Komarovsky recommends daily walks in the fresh air lasting about 4 hours.