Rickets - a disease of infants and young children characterized by disturbance of bone formation and mineralization failure caused primarily by deficiency of vitamin D and its active form in the period of most intensive growth of the organism. Vitamin D promotes the absorption of calcium, which is necessary for the full development of the bone tissue and the nervous system. Vitamin D is produced by the action starts to ultraviolet rays, but in autumn and winter, especially in an urban setting sun a little, which leads to a deficiency of vitamin D and, as a consequence, to rickets.

Risk factors

Artificial feeding, late introduction of complementary foods and supplementation, plenty of cereals in the diet (substances contained in cereals, inhibit the intestinal absorption of calcium) - all these factors contribute to the development of rickets. Premature babies are also more susceptible to this disease. Contributing factors also include: environmental factors, lack of physical activity (reduced blood supply to the bone), intestinal dysbiosis Intestinal dysbiosis - how dangerous it is?   (reduced amount of calcium) and other diseases of the child.

The most easily occurs and heavier rickets occurs in late autumn, winter and early spring, because for a long time that children remain indoors, and being in the air, in the clothes, tight-fitting body, they get a little ultraviolet rays. In winter, when the sun is low on the horizon, and the sky is covered with clouds, and long clouds, ultraviolet rays are delayed and almost fall to the ground. Under ultraviolet light reaches the earth's surface in the early morning and in the evening when the sun is low.

Causes rickets

Often the cause of rickets is a genetic predisposition, but often the disease is caused by poor nutrition and poor living conditions. Moreover, over the big cities with their high-rise buildings and gassed a dense smoke screen, it does not pass the required amount of ultraviolet radiation from the sun. As a result, much needed baby vitamin D, which should produce skin exposed to UV radiation, not form. There are the following main causes of the disease rickets:

• lack of UV radiation;
• irrational feeding (feeding someone else's baby milk that causes poor absorption of calcium, protein food monotonous food or food with saturated lipid, micronutrient deficiency, B vitamins B vitamins: the body useful helpers   and vitamin A);
• a premature baby;
• endogenous factors (disturbance of vitamin D absorption in the intestines, disturbance of hydroxylation of the inactive form of vitamin D into its active form - vitamin D3 is in the liver and the kidney, or the absence of a violation of the functional activity of receptors for vitamin D3);
• predisposition to the disease.

Signs and symptoms of rickets

Rickets - a disease of the growing organism, affects primarily the skeletal system. However, you may suffer and the nervous system and muscular, and digestive (in severe rickets children do not gain weight, there are frequent vomiting, a violation of the chair), and blood (in severe rickets are anemia) and immune (children are often sick, and banal SARS on the background of rickets can occur very hard).

Most rough changes caused by rickets occur in those parts of the skeleton, which at the time of disease are growing most quickly: in the first months of life, there are changes in the bones of the skull (they become more pliable, soft, expressed frontal and parietal bumps), and then - on the chest (so-called "rib rosary" arising from the transition points of the rib cartilage into bone), by the year changes may be on the hands and feet (tibia deformation and small joints).

Most susceptible to disease rickets kids between the ages of two to three months to two or three years. But there is also the so-called "late rickets" - it may be a case of chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, when disturbed absorption of vitamin D, in diseases of the pancreas Diabetes and pancreas - the things you need to know When poor nutrition, from living in the dark, semi-basement.

Treatment of rickets

Treatment depends on the period of rickets and severity of the disease. Specific treatment is carried out preparations of vitamin D. Of great importance in the treatment of a balanced diet, adequate exposure to fresh air, conducting massages and therapeutic exercises, UFO, sunbathing, salt and pine baths, vitamin and other restorative activities. UFO and sunbathing should not be taken together with vitamin D. It is also useful in swimming - children suffering from rickets should bathe every day, conducting water gymnastics - neatly splay and limbs, stroking, giving the baby to produce arms and legs swimming movements (to do this time occasionally bathe him in a large tub, with plenty of space).

Enuresis in children

Enuresis - is incontinence during sleep Dreams: how to understand our dreams . Most often it occurs in children 5-6 years old, but sometimes observed in adolescents. Primary enuresis is a condition when the child has not yet learned the full bladder control Urinary bladder - structure and function   during sleep. Secondary enuresis is considered to be a disorder in which your child has bedwetting after it successfully to control urination during sleep for more than six months.

Approximately 15-20% of children aged 5-6 years, most often boys regularly experience urinary night in a dream. Up to six years is not a very serious problem. Moreover, enuresis affects about 2% of teenagers under 14 years old and about 1% - aged 15 years and older.

Causes of enuresis

Sometimes the causes of enuresis can not detect - quite a few of these cases. Often this disorder is hereditary. Approximately 70% of children with enuresis brothers, sisters or parents are also suffering from this disorder. Studies have proven the existence of some people have a genetic predisposition to enuresis.

At enuresis may be medical, social and psychological causes, such as constipation, kidney disease, cystitis Cystitis: urgently take action , Diabetes, hypersensitivity to certain foods and food additives Food additives - basic classification ; as well as problems in kindergarten, in school or at home.

There are suggestions that sometimes children sleep so tight that they can not wake up when their bladder is filled. Some children learn to control urination later than others.

At night, the children produce too little antidiuretic hormone that controls the production of urine.

How to help your child

Try to use a so-called "urinary signaling" - it sounds an audible and / or vibrating signal when the child becomes a wet bed. This is a very effective method, as the child begins soon after he begins involuntary urination and after a while he learns himself to wake up when the bladder is full. Waking up, the child must go to the toilet, completely empty the bladder, and then change to clean bedding, which should be prepared in advance. Parents should be prepared, if necessary, to help the child to change the bed linens. When he woke you, in any case, do not reproach him.

There are several types of alarms. Some are equipped with a copper mesh, which is placed under the sheet. The grid is connected to a device that delivers the signal. Other alarms have a small sensor that can be put into the pocket of his pajama pants.

Often buy such a device recommended by doctors. A good therapeutic effect is achieved after an average of 5 months of using urine alarm. Sometimes, both appointed by the medical treatment of enuresis.

Do not make your child's bedwetting a big problem, do not discuss it with relatives and friends in the presence of a child. As a rule, children are very shy about the fact that they have such a problem. Swear, tease, punish the child for what he had urinary incontinence, it is totally unacceptable. This will exacerbate the problem and lay the foundation for the emergence of various psychological problems in the future.

Tell your child how many children suffer from enuresis - about one in five preschool age kid. If someone in the family has been or there is a problem, tell him about it. It will be easier to cope with the disease itself, and experiences that it is, if he knows that he is not alone.

Do not give your child too much to drink before going to bed. It is advisable not to give him a drink containing caffeine - coffee, someone, or cola.

What a child should drink depends on the circumstances (environmental temperature, diet, physical activity), but the average daily intake of liquids is as follows:

Medicine defines bedwetting as a disease in girls older than four years old, who continues to write in his sleep. The permissible age limit for boys - five years. However, studies have also shown that approximately 10% of all children are described in sleep even six years. Sometimes bedwetting continues until adolescence - 14 years, despite the fact that the percentage is reduced to 3%.