For many new parents, the arrival of a baby is one of the most exciting experiences in life. Watching a new baby grow and develop, especially over the first two years of life, can be a time of joy, excitement but also frustration. Of note is the concern many parents express during pediatric visits regarding the seemingly lower extremity growth deformity attributing to the appearance of bowed legs in the child. For many children, this bow leg appearance is simply a part of child growth and development. However, for others, the condition may be an indicator of a more significant child growth and development impairment.
As a new parent, it is important to remember that all babies are born with bow legs and the appearance of bow legs may be present as late as two years of age. Often exhibiting as a curvature in the upper and/or lower legs, bow legs, in children, result in an outward turning of the knee which, if not corrected, can, in some cases, lead to significant knee complications into adulthood. For this reason, when the bow leg condition persists, beyond age three, it is generally recommended that the child be referred to a pediatric orthopedist to determine if the bow legs are attributed to another childhood related condition.
With an x-ray, most pediatric orthopedist will diagnose a child with bow legs when both the tibia and the femur exhibit curvatures. Because the condition can be linked to other health complications, when positively diagnosed, the pediatric orthopedist may request further testing. Laboratory blood work commonly will include tests for infection, tumor and a condition known as rickets. Unfortunately, for a child suffering from rickets, the culprit may be inadequate dietary intake including deficiencies in Vitamin D and calcium. When these severe nutritional deficiencies occur early in life, the child’s bone structure may not develop sufficiently to bear the increasing weight thereby leading to a condition known as rickets induced bow legs.
Treating a child with bow legs often requires the use of bracing. While some pediatric orthopedists may recommend a conservative approach through delayed walking and even measures taken to prevent the child from standing on both feet, the use of bracing will prove to be more beneficial. In the bracing process, the infants legs are measures and braces are custom made based on the child’s stature. The braces are then worn for a variety of time periods, each day, based on the pediatric orthopedists recommendations. For children diagnosed with rickets-induced bow legs, bracing in addition to the supplement of Vitamin D and calcium will be required. With appropriate early intervention, most bow legged children will remedy the condition on their own without significant intervention.
As parents, providing proper nutritional and proper medical care to a new child is vitally important. When bow legs are a significant issue, in a child under three, consult a pediatric orthopedist regarding the remedies to pursue in an effort to improve the bowing effect. Ensuring proper early intervention will provide a more happy and healthy child growth and development period.
Brenham, Texas may not, at first, seem like a great tourist attraction, but the more…
Are you an avid gardener who enjoys growing succulents and cactus type plants? If so,…
Karensansui, or Japanese style in gardening, has been practiced for centuries but it came to…
Many people today are accepting jobs with companies who have elected to pay them as…
Graduates with a degree in chemistry can tell you that everything you see around you…
ADHD is a relatively common diagnosis marked by hyperactivity, behavior problems, and inability to focus…
This website uses cookies.