What to do if your child has leg cramps

I believe everyone is familiar with symptoms such as leg cramps in children. Leg cramps in children are a common symptom. The occurrence of leg cramps in children is not only easy to cause pain to children but also cause many troubles to children. Therefore, we recommend that parents must pay attention to this symptom. The main cause of leg cramps in children is calcium deficiency. In the following article, we will tell you what to do if your child has leg cramps.

Children's leg cramps are generally caused by calcium deficiency. Calcium is the main mineral that promotes the growth and development of babies' bones and teeth. Children are in the process of rapid development and are in the stage of growing bones and height. They are very prone to calcium deficiency, so it is very important to supplement calcium for children. Otherwise, if a child is calcium deficient, it will cause night sweats, cramps, indigestion, low immunity, etc. Severe calcium deficiency can also cause X or O-shaped feet, pigeon chest, rib valgus, rickets in children, etc.

Causes of leg cramps in children

The main cause of leg cramps in children is calcium deficiency. When the body lacks calcium, the excitability of muscles increases and muscle spasms (commonly known as cramps) are prone to occur. Calcium ions play an important role in muscle contraction. When the calcium ion concentration in the blood is too low, muscles become easily excited and cramp. Children grow and develop rapidly, and are easily deficient in calcium, which is why they often suffer from leg cramps.

What to do if your child has leg cramps

Calcium supplement. Eat more foods high in calcium, such as milk, soy products, dried shrimps, kelp, eggs, fish, bone soup, vegetables, fruits, etc. Eat less high-salt, high-fat, high-protein foods, such as hamburgers, fried chicken, potato chips, shrimp snacks, broad bean crisps, etc.; eat less high-phosphorus foods, such as soda, cola, etc. The former increases calcium excretion, while the latter hinders calcium absorption. In fact, calcium supplementation through food cannot meet the calcium supplementation requirements of children. It is best to take some calcium tablets to supplement calcium to ensure that children can grow up healthily. At the same time, children should be encouraged to get more sun exposure to promote calcium absorption.

Emergency treatment for leg cramps

1. Massage the cramp area.

2. Carefully stretch and lengthen the muscles where the cramp occurs, keeping them in a stretched position.

3. Apply hot compress with a towel to the cramp area.

In the above article, we introduced a symptom that children are prone to, which is leg cramps. We know that the main cause of leg cramps in children is calcium deficiency, so once a child shows symptoms of leg cramps, parents should help the child supplement calcium in time.