What parents need to know about rickets in children
In recent years, rickets in children has been on the rise. According to statistics, 1 in 3 children suffer from rickets. Here are some things to know about this disease.
Age susceptible to rickets
The age at which children are susceptible to rickets is mainly children under 3 years old. The disease makes the bones soft and porous, and at the same time deforms the bones, affecting the child's development. Therefore, to avoid children from getting rickets in the first years of life, parents need to pay attention to proper care.
How to detect rickets in children
Parents can detect rickets in children through the following symptoms:
Mild stage:
At this stage, the disease often manifests at a mild level, often starting within the first 6 months of a child's life.
Parents should pay more attention to their children when they see signs such as poor sleep, excessive sweating or prickly heat...
Severe stage:
In severe rickets, your child's bones will be so soft that when you touch them, they will feel like they have no bones. The shape of the child's head will also change, the top and front of the head will almost appear larger.
From the 6th to the 12th month, nodules appear at the top of the ribs and chest deformities, pectus carinatum, and curved ribs. After 1 year of age, the deformities will affect the limbs when the child has learned to walk: lower limbs are curved in the shape of an O, an X, and the knees are bent outward.
Pregnancy and lactation
Pregnant mothers need to eat well, work properly, and take iron and calcium supplements as directed by their doctor.
Babies born 1 month after birth need to sunbathe for 15 minutes every day at sunrise (preferably before 9am) and the sunlight must shine directly on the skin surface. The skin needs to be exposed as much as possible so that direct sunlight on the skin will create a lot of vitamin D. After going out in the sun for a few minutes to warm the baby, the mother should take off the hat, socks, and roll up the baby's shirt or pants as much as possible.
The first 3 years of life
Within the first 3 years of life, about 70% of children can escape rickets if their parents take care of them properly. So mothers need to pay attention:
For children, initiate breastfeeding soon after birth and exclusively breastfeed for the first six months.
When children reach weaning age, they need to eat a full and balanced diet of 4 food groups: starch, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. When children eat supplements: feed them foods rich in calcium such as: milk, eggs, shrimp, crab, fish, green vegetables and oil.
In winter, you need to give your child a dose of vitamin D3 as a preventive treatment throughout the early years of the child's life.
Causes of rickets in children
The cause of rickets is a lack of vitamin D. A lack of this substance will reduce calcium absorption in the intestine, leading to hypocalcemia, causing bone mineralization disorders. Therefore, the main treatment is to take this substance combined with calcium supplements. Calcium supplements can be from milk and foods that children can easily absorb. Foods rich in calcium include seafood.
Distinguishing between stunted growth and rickets
Stunted children: Children with malnutrition have lower weight and height measurements than normal children, with or without rickets.
Rickets: Can occur in even very chubby children, due to the need for calcium and phosphorus being higher than normal children.
What to do when children have rickets
Let your child sunbathe every day: About 10-15 minutes in the morning (before 9am), let the child's legs, arms, stomach, and back be exposed directly to sunlight.
Give children 4000 IU of vitamin D per day for 4-8 weeks. In case of pneumonia or diarrhea, the dose should be increased to 5000 - 10,000 IU per day for 1 month.
Give children additional calcium supplements such as: Calcium B1 - B2 - B6: 1-2 tubes/day, older children can eat 1-2 teaspoons of calcium granules/day.
Diet:
- Breastfeeding.
- Eat foods rich in calcium: milk, crab, shrimp, fish in daily meals.
- Add fat to your child's daily meals: Because vitamin D is fat-soluble, it is necessary to give your child fat to absorb vitamin D.
When you see signs of rickets, you should take your child to the doctor for guidance and more specific and active treatment.