How to prevent the disease? The first symptoms of rickets in children

A couple of decades ago, at the word "rickets" people represented children with big bellies and strongly twisted legs. This is how the child looks when the stage of the disease is neglected. At present, parents notice early symptoms of rickets in children early and turn to a pediatrician for help in time.

What is rickets? This is a shortage in the body of vitamin D, in which the metabolism and mineralization of the growing bones are reduced, as a result of which there are irregularities in the formation of the skeleton of the child. The term is derived from the Greek word "rháchis", which translates as "spine", "spine".

Symptoms of rickets in children

The first from the lack of vitamin D suffers the nervous system of the child. This manifests itself in crying, restless sleep, and loss of appetite. The baby begins to often turn in the bed, which causes the characteristic bald patches on the back of the head. Increases sweating: when the baby sucks his chest or cries, even in a cool room his head sweats. The first symptoms of rickets in term infants begin to appear in the second-third month of life, and in premature babies, and earlier, by the end of the first month.

If you miss the onset of the disease and do not start on time for prevention, muscle hypotension is added. Babies with rickets later accepted dates begin to hold the head, turn over and sit. Unlike healthy peers, they do not tend to crawl or walk. Significantly shift the timing of teething. As a result of a lowered muscle tone, a so-called "froggy", swollen abdomen appears. The bones soften, the fontanel does not close in any way, because of this the skull, thorax, the hump begins to grow. Legs take the form of the letter X or O. Immunity decreases, rachitic children get sick often, hard and long, inflammation of the lungs is often associated with common cold. However, I repeat: this stage of the disease reaches only in the case when treatment of rickets in children is not carried out. And this is very rare in the modern world.

Usually caring parents pay attention to the first symptoms of rickets in children, and sometimes they begin to carry out prevention even earlier, before they appear. After all, as you know, the disease is easier to prevent than treat.

Prevention of rickets in children

Even during pregnancy, the mother should take care that the baby does not have problems with a lack of vitamin D. She should walk a lot, breathe fresh air and take a sun bath. Eating a pregnant woman should be diverse, rich in proteins, vitamins and minerals. This is the foundation of the child's health.

When a baby is born, you also need to walk with it several times a day, because the sun's rays are the best preventive against rickets. Vitamin D is produced directly in the skin under the influence of ultraviolet. But this does not mean that you need to walk in the sun. The most productive production of vitamin occurs in the lacy shade of trees.

And what about the children who were born in the autumn-winter period or living in natural belts with a very short summer? Firstly, we must catch ultraviolet in the window and arrange a bath for the child on a clear day at home. And secondly, it is necessary to give artificial vitamin D in preventive doses.