Rickets in a child: symptoms, signs and treatment

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

One of the serious, dangerous diseases that occur in children is rickets. Symptoms, treatment in infants, young children should be known to all responsible modern parents in order to recognize in time - it's time to seek help from a qualified doctor.

General view

Before dealing with the symptoms, treatment of rickets, you should delve into the very essence of the disease. The term is used to denote a disease in which metabolic processes involving calcium and phosphorus in the body are disturbed. Provokes rickets deficiency of vitamin D (calciferol). If the lack of a compound becomes chronic, the likelihood of multiple disorders is high. Cartilage and bone tissues do not receive calcium and phosphorus necessary for normal development and functioning, which leads to irreversible changes. The formation of tissues, organs, the degree of their mineralization suffers.

Some believe that the symptoms of rickets in the photo can only be seen in the medical archives of many years ago, but at present the disease has already lost its relevance. Unfortunately, suchopinion is wrong. And today, children find themselves in conditions of calciferol deficiency, malnutrition and care, which leads to a variety of pathologies. In our country, in recent years, the standard of living has become much higher, the social and economic situation has stabilized, so some experts believe that it is likely that rickets will soon become a relic of the past. And yet you need to understand: if this happens in the future, then not right now. This means that parents should know the symptoms of the disease in order to seek qualified help in time. If a pathology develops in a baby, it turns into a serious threat to the future of a person, especially without proper and timely treatment.

Features of the disease

Symptoms of rickets in children (6 years old, a year or two - in a word, any age) are due to the peculiarities of this pathology, namely the defeat of the musculoskeletal system. The risk is greatest at the age of five years and younger, although medicine knows cases when rickets was diagnosed even in adulthood. Degradation, deformation of bone tissue is due to the lack of minerals - calcium, phosphorus. Normally, substances should come from food, but for their absorption, calciferol must be present in the body, which is formed in the skin under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. If there is insufficient nutrition or beriberi, the risk of disease increases.

In addition to the natural processes of vitamin formation under the influence of ultraviolet rays, calciferol enterschildren's body with food. In order not to show the symptoms of rickets in a child, it is important to balance the diet so that the diet is complete. If the baby lives in the northern regions, where the winter is long, the sunny day is short, it is reasonable to include more dairy products in the diet, as well as use pharmacy vitamin supplements. Recently, milk enriched with vitamin D has been on sale. It is he who should be given preference. Calciferol is formed from cholesterol derivatives, so the child should not be restricted in nutrition.

Where does trouble come from?

Symptoms of rickets in a child may appear if nutrition is insufficient, defective. The provoking factors are:

• too short exposure to sunlight;
• erroneous metabolic processes in the body;
• lack of calciferol, cholesterol.

Higher likelihood of symptoms of rickets in a child weighing 4 kg or more at birth, as well as in an early transfer to artificial feeding of a baby. Can provoke rickets:

• complicated childbirth;
• use of non-adapted artificial feeding products;
• growth too fast, weight gain;
• lack of walks, limited mobility, activity;
• problems in the digestive tract;
• use of anticonvulsants.

A child on anti-seizure medication is likely to develop symptoms of rickets.

The risk group for the disease includes premature babies - often the primary symptoms can be seen already in the second week of life. The tendency is explained by the weakness of the internal systems, the underdevelopment of the digestive tract. Physiological immaturity does not allow normal absorption of food.

Rare case

It is known that the symptoms of rickets in infants may be due to the congenital nature of this disease. In practice, this is very rare, and is due to insufficiency of the placenta. A higher probability of congenital rickets in a child whose mother during the gestation period was too restrictive in food, was not able to fully eat.

Another rare form of the disease is rickets, which does not depend on the concentration of calciferol in the child's body. Analyzes show that minerals, vitamins in the tissues of the patient are in adequate quantities, but the symptoms of rickets are still disturbing. In infants and older children, this may be due to insufficient functioning of the kidneys and liver, due to which vital substances, although they are present, do not participate in chemical reactions. A similar outcome can be provoked by some medications - barbiturates, corticosteroids. Under the influence of their active components, minerals are not transformed into a form available for capture by cells.

Mindfulness is the key to future he alth

The main difficulty in treating the disease is that the first symptoms of rickets in a child (4 months, sometimes earlier, sometimes later) are very subtle, so the older generationjust doesn't pay enough attention to it. Usually, adults think that the baby is naughty for no particular reason and you just need to be patient - "this is such a period." This is also evidenced by many case histories with photos. Symptoms of rickets in infants can be manifested by the following behaviors:

• the child hardly falls asleep, the rhythm of sleep gets lost;
• the baby is shy, anxious for no reason;
• the state is inhibited, the patient is characterized by lethargy, no interest in the environment;
• the child is irritable, capricious, although there is no obvious explanation for this.

A rather striking symptom, a sign of rickets in children under one year old (treatment at this age is already required if the disease can be diagnosed) is an increased activity of the sweat glands. This is especially noticeable during feeding and when the child is sleeping - if you touch the pillow, it will be wet to the touch. The secreted liquids have a sharp, unpleasant odor. Due to profuse sweating, the hairs on the back of the head begin to fall out.

What to look out for?

Among the symptoms and signs of rickets in children showing that treatment is needed, convulsions, more pronounced during sleep, should be mentioned. The child suffers from stool disorders, both constipation and diarrhea are possible. The patient's skin itches, irritates, and the genitals emit an unpleasant ammonia smell. A child with rickets suffers from irritation of the skin of this part of the body, diaper rash often occurs here.

Most of these signs can be seen alreadya few months after birth. Both at the most tender age and in older children (for example, in children of 4 years old), the symptoms of rickets often first appear in autumn or winter, at the very beginning of spring, when it is cold outside.

Under the influence of the disease, the patient becomes capricious, the tendency to demand the fulfillment of any desire increases. At the same time, sweating provokes nervousness, the body itches, and the skin is irritated. You should urgently go to the doctor if there is a baldness of the back of the head in children 4 years old. The symptoms of rickets, left without due attention, lead to the rapid progress of the disease. If the disease develops at a tender age, by the first six months of life it will be possible to observe a complete picture of the disease. At an older age, children are usually somewhat more resistant to rickets, however, it all depends on the individual characteristics of the body.

Progress of disease

If the primary signs go unaddressed, symptoms of rickets in a one year old include:

• developmental delay;
• late acquisition of skills to rise, walk;
• delayed formation of milk teeth;
• the fontanel closes much later than in he althy children.

Attention to this should be paid by both parents and the local pediatrician. If rickets is suspected, blood samples are taken for analysis. You can diagnose the disease if the blood shows high phosphatase activity, phosphorus deficiency.

Danger: no exaggeration

If the symptoms of rickets in a one-year-old child were left without proper attention, over time they become pathologies in themselves, and it is impossible to cure them. Development occurs with serious violations. In the future, such a child may well become disabled. Processes are irreversible. Because of the disease, bone tissues suffer greatly, the structure of cartilage is disturbed. Patients have weakened immunity, incorrectly formed internal organs. If the disease has developed for the first time months after birth, such a baby is more susceptible to viruses, bacteria, and is constantly sick.

You can notice complications if there is a chronic lack of iron in the blood, and the liver and spleen are enlarged. The patient has too mobile joints, and muscle tissues are characterized by a weak tone. This leads to the formation of a “frog belly”, which is especially noticeable if the patient is placed on his back - the stomach will be flat, hanging from the sides. Complications manifest themselves:

• curvature of the legs;
• violation of the shape of the chest;
• head enlargement;
• softening of cranial bones;
• appearance of growths on the ribs.

If you study the case history, you can see from the photo: the symptoms of rickets, the treatment of which was not started in a timely manner, cause the formation of "bracelets", that is, specific thickenings on the wrists and ankles. Most patients have a curved spine.

Further - worse

The lack of adequate medical therapy causes various severe consequences for the he alth of the child. curvaturethe spinal column initiates the formation of a hump, thickening of the bones. The pelvis is underdeveloped, which is why the cartilage tissue is formed incorrectly. Over time, this becomes the cause of joint dysplasia. At the same time flat feet are observed. Many patients with rickets have an asymmetrical skull.

All the described complications are a sufficient reason for obtaining the status of a disabled person. Symptoms will accompany the patient for life - all skeletal deformities are stable and irreversible.

What to do?

To diagnose the disease, it is necessary to take blood samples for analysis and prescribe some instrumental examinations. The pediatrician sends for an examination to an orthopedist, a surgeon - these are the doctors who work with children with rickets. To identify all the features of the patient's condition, the following examinations are done:

• take blood for biochemistry analysis for mineral content;
• carry out a CT scan, take an X-ray, identifying lesions.

The information obtained from examinations is the basis for selecting the optimal therapeutic approach. If studies have shown that there is no rickets, but there is a high probability of its development in the near future, the doctor prescribes preventive measures.

Attention to detail

There are cases when the disease occurs in a mild form - as a rule, they talk about latent rickets in a child. The symptoms are indicated above - late closure of the fontanel, improperly growing teeth, slow development. AtIn this case, complications do not manifest themselves as clearly and quickly as in children who are seriously ill, so many parents do not consider it necessary to treat the problem. This approach is fundamentally wrong. Even if rickets is mild, poorly noticeable, and there are few deviations from the norm, it is important to start timely treatment to prevent the consequences - and they are far from always predictable.

Some people think that in a mild form rickets does not need to be treated, because this disease itself has long been defeated, it is very rare, which means that there is nothing dangerous in it. Such reasoning is erroneous - although the frequency is small, the consequences are still serious, and they can be prevented if you consult a doctor in time. Do not hesitate or be shy - with any suspicion, you need to come to the reception and insist on a complete check-up of the child's body, especially if there are factors that provoke the disease.

Therapy: where to start?

The basic task in the treatment of rickets is to normalize the metabolic processes in the body, to provide the child with all the trace elements necessary for the normal development of tissues and organs. The classic approach is the use of vitamin D in food. On the shelves of pharmacies, you can see a fairly large variety of water and oil extracts enriched with this compound, as well as tablets. It is necessary to provide the doctor with the choice of what to take. Tablets are not intended for very young patients, and water essences are considered somewhat more toxic than oil ones. Of the popular names, it is necessary to mention "Vigantol" and "Devisol". These medicines are commercially available.in almost any modern pharmacy. The doctor at the appointment will tell you what the dose should be, according to what scheme to use the composition in food.

Conservative treatment quickly shows an improvement in the child's condition. To control the situation, x-rays are regularly taken and blood is checked for biochemistry. Literally one week is already enough for the amount of phosphorus in the body to increase if the child takes a high-quality medication with calciferol. Alkaline phosphatase becomes less active, the concentration of calcium in the circulatory system decreases. The x-ray shows positive changes - the ossification is more noticeable, the tissues are stronger, you can see new directions of the epiphyses.

Continuing therapy

To enhance the effectiveness of the conservative method and consolidate its results, the child is prescribed physiotherapy. This helps to activate the processes of development, growth, stimulate more efficient assimilation of the necessary microscopic elements. With rickets, it is shown to move a lot, actively work with joints and muscles. Physiotherapy is prescribed only for patients aged six months and older. The program is chosen by the doctor, starting from the characteristics of the patient's condition. As a rule, the therapy is complex: therapeutic massage, water and mud procedures, electrophoresis with calcium and phosphorus ions are prescribed at the same time. Be sure to do procedures under an ultraviolet lamp to activate the production of calciferol in the patient's body. Additionally, gymnastics will benefit.

In rare cases, the doctor recommends contactingto the possibilities of surgery. This is true if the disease is severe, therapy with vitamin and mineral complexes does not show the desired effect, massage and ultraviolet also do not give a pronounced result. As a rule, this is observed if the internal organs have already undergone major changes. Using modern surgical techniques, it is possible to eliminate the deformity of bone tissues, return the anatomically correct shape and position to the joints and bones. The rehabilitation period after such an operation can be long, success largely depends on the right diet, providing the patient's body with all the necessary minerals, vitamins, useful compounds.

Consequences and Opportunities

If you managed to notice the symptoms of rickets in time and consult a qualified doctor, start treatment, there is no threat to life. The stage at which the therapeutic course was started directly determines the consequences, complications, and future of the patient. If rickets is prevented, the disease can be successfully prevented - even if the child is at risk. It should be remembered that adequate treatment helps to smooth out the unpleasant symptoms of the disease over the years. Some consequences remain for life if treatment is started late, but with a timely start of the course, it is likely that by the school period all developmental disorders will be exhausted. Of course, this only applies to mild illness.

It is known that the lack of adequate treatment, even in the case when the disease develops in a mild form, eventually leads tohe alth troubles. In particular, such people have bad teeth all their lives, and the curvature of the lower extremities also persists. A delay in physical, mental development is possible, and its degree depends on how the disease proceeded. If pathological changes were not accompanied by treatment, over time, the child is worried about flat feet, curvature of the spine, and pelvic deformities. Girls who have had mild rickets at a tender age face complications during childbirth in the future - this is due to the narrowness of the pelvis, improper bone formation.

During the school period, children who had rickets soon after birth are more likely to suffer from poor eyesight, iron deficiency in the blood, get colds, and catch infections. In adulthood, increased bone fragility, osteoporosis are often worried.