How to prevent baby rickets

We all know that babies are prone to rickets if they lack vitamin D in their bodies. However, many children are prone to such symptoms due to insufficient nutrient absorption, which often causes the baby to sweat easily and feel distressed. If the condition develops seriously, it can also lead to symptoms such as bone deformities, which will cause certain harm to the healthy growth of babies. However, if we can master the prevention methods, we can avoid such symptoms in children. Let’s learn how to prevent baby rickets.

How to prevent baby rickets

First of all, pregnant and breastfeeding mothers should often go outdoors, get more sun exposure, and eat nutritious foods rich in vitamin D, such as dairy products, cheese, eggs, animal liver, etc. People with hypocalcemia should supplement with vitamin D (cod liver oil drops) and calcium. Vitamin D can be used for prevention in children 2 weeks after birth. Take vitamin D orally every day until one year old. Children over one year old can adopt the preventive method of "sunbathing in summer and autumn, and taking vitamin D in winter". The preventive dosage of vitamin D is 400-800 IU/day. Take your children to do more outdoor activities, and don’t let them sunbathe through glass windows at home. This is because ultraviolet rays cannot pass through ordinary glass, so sunbathing through glass windows is ineffective. After the baby is born, try to breastfeed and supplement with foods rich in vitamin D in time. Babies under 2 years old generally cannot eat cod liver oil capsules sold on the market, because the vitamin A content in these cod liver oil capsules is very high. Long-term use can cause vitamin A poisoning. While ensuring the supply of vitamin D, calcium supplements can be appropriate, especially for children who are artificially fed, have poor appetite, grow too fast and suffer from acute or chronic diseases. It is important to supplement with an appropriate amount of calcium powder.

There are many calcium preparations on the market. How do you choose? Generally, the choice should be based on the calcium content of the product, the solubility of the calcium preparation and the disintegration of the tablet, the calcium absorption rate, taste and price ratio. In addition, different methods of taking will also bring different effects. Taking it during or after meals can delay gastric emptying and facilitate the absorption of calcium. Taking it in small doses several times can increase the absorption rate of calcium.

Once rickets occurs, regular treatment should be carried out, which can be carried out under the guidance of a doctor. Physical exercise should be strengthened in daily life. Active or passive methods can be used to correct skeletal deformities: for chest deformities, prone head-lift and chest-extension exercises can be performed; for lower limb deformities, muscle massage can be performed (massage the lateral muscle groups for "O"-shaped legs and massage the medial muscle groups for "X"-shaped legs) to increase muscle tension and help recover from the deformity; for those with residual severe lower limb skeletal deformities, surgical correction can be considered after the active stage of rickets stops after the age of 4.

It must be pointed out that vitamin D preparations are oily preparations. Insufficient intake can cause rickets, but excessive intake will not be excreted in the urine and can also cause poisoning. Therefore, when parents supplement their babies with vitamin D preparations, they must control the dosage and take the product under the guidance of a doctor to avoid adverse reactions due to overdose.

The above is an introduction on how to prevent baby rickets. After understanding it, we know that many diseases can be better prevented if we can master the methods. For the healthy growth of children, parents should observe their children more often, pay attention to their children’s nutritional supplements, and try to adjust their children’s diet to a balanced nutrition. If medication supplements are needed, be sure to listen to the doctor’s advice.