Rickets is one of those childhood diseases that are easier to prevent than cure. We will tell you about what should be the prevention of this childhood disease in this article.
Features of the disease
The onset of rickets is always closely associated with a deficiency in the body of vitamin D. Additionally, calcium and phosphorus metabolism is disturbed, which can lead to rather sad consequences - the bones of the child are deformed due to a lack of minerals, internal organs suffer - lungs, kidneys, heart, liver and spleen. Vitamin D is synthesized in human skin when exposed to sunlight. If the sun is not enough, if the child was born in late autumn or winter, then the likelihood of developing rickets increases. Premature babies are also at risk, they are more severely deficient in vitamin D and calcium as they grow at a faster rate.
The disease always develops in early childhood - from 2-3 weeks of independent life of the toddler, sometimes later. Treatment of the disease is quite lengthy. That is why it is important to know what measures will help protect the child from the disease.
Who needs prevention?
Not so long ago it was believed that the prevention of rickets is necessary for all children without exception. Now doctors have somewhat changed their approach to this issue. And preventive measures are prescribed and recommended only to certain children. Among them:
- Premature babies (faster growth requires more vitamin D).
- Children living in northern regions where the number of sunny days per year is small.
- Babies who, for a number of reasons, cannot feed on breast milk and are artificially fed.
- Crumbs born from multiple pregnancies.
- Babies who are not properly cared for by their parents for social reasons.
- Children born in winter or late autumn.
Thus, if the child was born on time with normal weight, if the mother has no problems with lactation and the baby gains kilograms well, if they walk with him every day even in winter, he does not have a great need for vitamin D.
Taking drugs containing such a vitamin "just in case" is very dangerous, because it can lead to an overdose, the consequences of which can be much more serious than rickets itself.
Thus, it is by no means necessary to engage in prophylaxis without the knowledge of the attending pediatrician. All preventive measures must be approved by a specialist who believes that the child has a real risk of developing rickets.
Preventive measures before birth
Long before the baby is born, the mother can take care of minimizing the risks of developing rickets in the unborn child. To do this, she must eat correctly and in a balanced way, without fail including fish, meat, fresh herbs, eggs, cottage cheese and dairy products in her diet. To maintain the correct balance of vitamins and minerals in your own body, and thereby provide them in the right amount to the unborn child, you can take special vitamin and mineral complexes that are created specifically for pregnant women - "Elevit", "Materna".
Women under 30 should take vitamin D supplements from the 31st to 32nd weeks of pregnancy. The dosage that the expectant mother requires daily is 400-500 IU... The dose can be increased if a woman lives in the north, works in hazardous industries. While expecting a child, you need to walk a lot and often in the fresh air, making the most of the opportunity to be in the sun so that vitamin D deficiency does not arise.
It is important to visit a consultation, follow all the recommendations of an obstetrician-gynecologist, donate blood and urine, including the determination of the level of calcium and phosphorus in the body.
Non-specific preventive measures
After giving birth, you can start preventing rickets right away, as soon as the mother and child return home from the hospital. Non-specific prophylaxis implies a large range of measures aimed at the harmonious development of the baby and the formation of his immunity. It is especially important to adhere to all these rules if the baby was born prematurely.
It is enough for a child to be outside for 20-30 minutes to satisfy the need for vitamin D, if it is sunny and summer. Winter walks are also of great importance, however, the amount of sunlight received by the baby will be less - after all, the baby has practically no skin areas not covered by clothes. The child's immunity should be strengthened from the first days of his life. For this, doctors recommend cool baths (according to the method of Dr. Komarovsky), obligatory daily sessions of restorative massage, gymnastics.
This does not require special knowledge in the field of medicine; any mother and even father can master such massage and gymnastics.
The massage uses light stroking movements, slight pressure, circular movements along the back and tummy. Gymnastics consists of simple exercises, allowed by age, starting with laying on the tummy and ending in a few months with coups, bending and unbending the child's arms and legs in the joints. After the child is introduced to complementary foods, you need to start giving the baby calcined curd. Make sure to visit your pediatrician every month.
Only a doctor is able to notice alarming signs of the possible development of rickets, to prescribe additional diagnostic examinations. This will make it possible to quickly begin treatment, thereby minimizing the possible consequences of rickets.
Preventive measures specific
Specific prophylaxis includes taking prophylactic doses of vitamin D preparations ("Aquadetrim", "Vigantol" and others). For infants, the drug is prescribed in a dosage of 300-400 IU, for children after a year - 400-500 IU. The dosage is very important to comply with, as an overdose of vitamin D can have serious consequences. For premature babies, the prophylactic dose can be increased at the discretion of the doctor, since the need for the drug for them is significantly higher than for peers who were born on time.
It should be remembered that taking vitamin D for prevention is only necessary up to 3 years. Moreover, for the last year (from 2 years to 3 years), the vitamin is given only from late autumn (from November) to the beginning of spring (to March).
For newborns and infants, as well as toddlers under 2 years of age, the drug is prescribed systemically, throughout the year, breaks in admission should be done only for the summer months.
A woman who is breastfeeding her newborn baby should also take vitamin D at a dosage of 400-500 IU. If a child is artificial, you should not feed him cow or goat milk, since the doses of calcium and phosphorus in these products do not meet the needs of the child's body, calcium is leached out, and without it, normal absorption of vitamin D is impossible.
It is best to feed your baby with milk formulas that are fully adapted. This word is always indicated in the name of the food. After six months, the mixture that the baby eats must be partially adapted (have a serial number "2" in the name). In the composition of these mixtures, manufacturers necessarily introduce vitamin D. To clarify in what quantity, you can check the composition of the mixture on the package. If the amount is not enough for the daily requirement, with the permission of the pediatrician, you can add up to the required amount with vitamin D preparations.
Taking medications is also indicated for children who have switched to complementary foods and complementary foods make up about two-thirds of the daily diet.
Such drugs are not prescribed to children who have suffered from hemolytic disease of the newborn, as well as children with congenital kidney pathologies.
You can find out more information about rickets in children in the next issue of Dr. Komarovsky's program.
