Osteochondrosis in children and adolescents is not uncommon. Such conclusions were made relatively recently and some experts still deny the possibility of the development of degenerative intervertebral disc disorders in children. For degenerative diseases in children and adolescents treated traditionally only osteochondropathy - disease manifested aseptic necrosis of the vertebral bodies.

Children low back pain: Causes of disease

Today, it is believed that low back pain in children develops as a result of systemic underdevelopment of connective tissue (cartilage intervertebral disc - is a type of connective tissue), congenital or hereditary. Such features of the intervertebral discs in the child makes them very vulnerable to various external influences.

Factors predisposing to the development of degenerative disc disease in children include birth injuries Birth injuries - than they threaten your child?   spine. And as the most common injuries of the cervical spine, the cervical and low back pain Cervical osteochondrosis - the lot of office workers   also not uncommon. But the first manifestations of the disease do not necessarily appear in childhood, often they are signs of youth (adolescent, juvenile) osteoarthritis.

Common cause of degenerative disc disease in children if they have an innate predisposition may be heavy athletic loads, long stay in an awkward position (eg, inappropriate desk in school), spinal injury. Osteochondrosis adolescents have the same cause.

How is low back pain in children and adolescents

The flow of osteochondrosis in children is usually imperceptible. Symptoms of the disease are the same as that of the adults, but occur to a much lesser extent.

The earliest sign of cervical degenerative disc disease in children are headaches, apply to entire head preferentially localized in the neck and occipital region, worse when turning the head. The pain can be so severe that a small child can not play, and school-age children - even something to do.

Sometimes, on the background of the usual headaches in children appear suddenly severe headaches that can last several hours or be repeated several times a day. During the attack the child is trying to keep your head in a certain position and did not move. During an attack of pain may also occur in the eye socket, blurred vision, who are after the removal of a headache.

From time to time there may be as pain in the ear on the affected side, dizziness, noise and ringing in the ear, sometimes - hearing loss on the same side. Very often, these symptoms are attributed to other diseases and treat them for a long time without success.

Suspicion of low back pain can cause permanent aching pain in the neck. Sometimes these pains are sharp, sharp, but in children, unlike adults, it is quite rare.

Thoracic osteochondrosis Osteochondrosis - learn how to properly distribute the weight   It occurs in children quite rare and usually present with pain and discomfort in the heart. It is much more common in the lumbar and lumbosacral osteochondrosis with characteristic aching permanent or paroxysmal sharp pains in the spine changed, smack in the back and back of the thighs. Most often it manifests itself as juvenile osteochondrosis (juvenile osteochondrosis) due to high physical exertion in sport.

How to identify a child osteochondrosis

It is not so simple, as osteochondrosis of the parents, and pediatricians afterthought. But a careful neurological examination neurologist can detect signs of muscle tension in the neck and back. In the initial stages of radiographic osteoarthritis of the spine can not see in the later stages of the visible height of the intervertebral space reduction, expansion of bone (osteophytes), sclerotic changes. Bol accurate diagnosis can be made using magnetic resonance imaging.

Prevention and Treatment

The treatment of degenerative disc disease in children is mainly carried out with the help of physiotherapy and massage. If necessary, designate the immobilization of the spine - wearing a brace or cervical collar. Appointed as physiotherapy, reflexology Reflexology - a policy of non-drug therapies .

Preventing osteochondrosis in children is early detection of children at risk of developing osteoarthritis. This group should include children with birth and the postnatal spinal cord injuries, abnormalities of the spine, as well as children with family history, whose close relatives suffer early and severe forms of osteoarthritis.

These children are subject to special monitoring, they are contraindicated high physical activity, exercise. They should receive regular massage courses and constantly engaged in physiotherapy to strengthen the muscles of the back.

Galina Romanenko

The term "perinatal" has been used since the sixties of the last century. Perinatal or perinatal period of human life begins with 22 completed weeks (154 days) of intrauterine fetal life (at the time of its weight is about 500 g), and ends after 7 full days after birth. During this period a child affected by multiple factors that determine its future health and development.

What is perinatal encephalopathy and why it may be a child

Encephalopathy - a diffuse (spread) microfocal degenerative brain damage (due to an eating disorder of brain tissue) the nature, caused by various diseases and pathological conditions. Encephalopathy, which originated in the perinatal development of the child, called perinatal encephalopathy.

Perinatal encephalopathy is a direct consequence of insufficient supply of brain tissue hypoxia as a result of the child's (lack of oxygen), ischemia Ischemia - when the brain fails to work   (blockage or narrowing of the arteries that bring blood to the brain), or toxic effects on the brain.

As a result of this exposure affected the cerebral cortex and subcortical white baby stuff that if severe lesions can cause quadriplegia (paralysis of the arms and legs) and intellectual failure. In less severe injuries, a delay of mental development of the child.

Perinatal encephalopathy can be caused by lack of oxygen (for example, placental insufficiency, or some diseases of the mother), traumatic lesions at delivery and in the first minutes and hours of life, eating disorders of brain tissue due to spasm of blood vessels that feed the brain, or -this effects on the brain tissue of various toxic substances.

How does perinatal encephalopathy

Perinatal encephalopathy can manifest itself in different ways, depending on how much was struck by brain tissue. There are three levels of perinatal encephalopathy:

• I degree - seen a slight increase or decrease in muscle tone and reflexes; often after birth, there are some signs of depression of the central nervous system (CNS), which in a few days give way to excitement, anxiety, baby, shake his pens and chin;
• Grade II - CNS depression is more pronounced and is replaced by excitement; child relaxed muscles (hypotonia), depressed reflexes, in some cases appear jerking of muscles and sensory disturbances of the internal organs in the form of vomiting, disorders stool, abdominal distention Bloating - if you are bursting inside , Increase or decrease in heart rate, respiratory arrhythmia and so on;
• Grade III - pronounced and prolonged depression of the central nervous system, often with convulsions, the child lethargic, significant violations of the respiratory, cardiovascular and digestive systems.

When perinatal encephalopathy may appear as hydrocephalic syndrome, manifested in increased intracranial pressure and a rapid increase in the size of the baby's head. Parents should alert the child's constant anxiety, sleep disorder Dreams: how to understand our dreams , Lethargy, jerking, poor sucking, regurgitation.

Diagnosis of perinatal encephalopathy

If something in the behavior of the newborn's mother worried, it must necessarily inform the pediatrician who visits the child at home the day after discharge from the hospital, and then once a week until the baby is not fulfilled month. In the month of mother and child come to the reception to a pediatrician (for this purpose in a special children's clinic selected 'healthy' Day), where the child examined, measured, weighed, and all the data in the medical record. Says a lot about the monthly weight gain. Given the fact that the child in the first days of slightly losing weight a month, he must add to his birth weight 600 g If it is gleaning much weight, it indicates some troubles. All children under the age of one month is required to advise child neurologist who, if necessary, prescribes treatment.

To confirm the diagnosis carried out a comprehensive survey to detect changes in the internal organs and the central nervous system. Be sure to make the electroencephalography (EEG), which allows to recognize the different stages of encephalopathy. The most informative method of diagnosis is evoked potentials (electrical response of the brain to external stimuli, which is recorded using EEG electrodes placed on the scalp) - they allow to predict an unfavorable outcome in the form of deafness, blindness and cerebral palsy.

Treatment of perinatal encephalopathy

Treatment perinatal encephalopathy involves the following stages of treatment: treatment of hypoxia, hypoxia caused by treatment of metabolic disorders in the brain tissue and treating hypoxic edema Prevention and treatment of edema - it is important to understand the root cause   brain. At the same time, the earlier treatment is started the child, the more effective it will be.

The brain of a newborn baby is able to form new nerve cells and fully restore the central nervous system.

Galina Romanenko