With the arrival of a baby in the family, caring parents monitor his every move and skill. Moms and dads are increasingly turning to pediatric orthopedists with problems with the musculoskeletal system.
A common complaint is that a baby's joints are cracking. An experienced specialist will answer that articular tissue is just beginning to form and mature. You shouldn’t worry when a crunch appears, but you shouldn’t let the situation take its course either.
When sounds appear and the baby makes movements for a long time, a pathology may develop that must be treated with medications, massages and physical therapy.
Most often, pathology in infants is diagnosed during examination of the lower extremities and pelvis. A characteristic sound occurs when the legs are pulled apart.
Symptoms
Routine examination by a specialist orthopedist of a three-month-old child.
A fragile child's body is formed in such a way as to protect the baby from possible injury when turning over from side to side, while crawling and taking the first steps.
The bones of babies have the structure of cartilage tissue. The joints are underdeveloped and when making the first movements, parents may hear them crunching.
In the first months of life, babies lie on their backs and play in the air with their legs. The baby's joints crack when he tightens his limb and returns it to its original level position. The ligaments contract and produce a characteristic crunch.
A common position in which parents pay attention to extraneous sounds when the child makes movements at home.
In a healthy baby, sounds disappear during growth and full development. Parents can help get rid of crunching by attending massage courses at a children's clinic. The procedures will help the child actively develop physical abilities.
Important! In the medical practice of orthopedists, there are cases when the crunching sound does not go away on its own and an inflammatory pathological process begins to develop, in which the child needs to receive specialized treatment.
Tight swaddling inhibits the physical development of babies and their motor activity.
Dysplasia
This disease is hereditary. The cause of dysplasia in an infant is insufficient production of collagen and other substances that make up connective tissue. If a baby's joints crack abnormally, it means that the ligaments are stretched and lack elasticity. When the baby moves, the cartilage tissues come into contact with each other and lead to a characteristic sound. The joint falls out of its seat. Dysplasia is characterized by the occurrence of a crunching sound when the legs are abducted to the sides.
Dysplasia is a dangerous disease that can lead to disability without timely treatment. In infancy, this problem is solved much easier and faster. Dysplasia is removed with the help of therapeutic massages, which are carried out by a specialist, gymnastics, and calcium intake. In difficult cases, the treatment method for dysplasia is different: wearing corrective pants, splints, stretch marks.
Causes of crunching in joint tissue in children
Why do newborns have cracking joints?
| Main reasons | Detailed description of the pathology |
| Physiological changes
| It is normal for a baby to have cracking joints before reaching 1 year of age. During this time period, significant changes associated with physical activity occur in the child’s body. When the joint and muscle tissues are formed and help the child take his first steps, the crunching disappears. |
| Active growth
| Crunching in the joints of a baby is considered normal and does not cause concern. In some cases, the pathology can last up to five years. This process is associated with a sharp growth spurt in the child and insufficient production of lubricant in the joint tissue. |
| Genetic predisposition
| Crackling joints in infants can be passed on from parents through the hereditary chain. This pathology occurs in children whose parents suffer from an inflammatory process in the joint tissue. Also, the sound during movements appears in case of thinned joints, which close relatives have a history of. |
| Vitamin D deficiency
| If the family lives in the south, there should be no problems with insufficient vitamin intake. Orthopedists recommend walking with newborns in the morning, when the sun releases the required amount of a vital microelement. When living in the north, vitamin D can be given to the baby in the form of drops of the drug Aquadetrim. |
| Rheumatoid arthritis
| Multifactorial pathology develops in children whose bodies are prone to developing the disease. Rheumatoid arthritis can develop after an infant has had a viral illness. Frequent provocateurs of the disease are viruses and streptococcal infections. Due to tissue damage, the infant's joints crack. Also, the reason for the development of pathology is living in a populated area with poor ecology and an increased radiation field. |
| Hip dysplasia
| Congenital pathology of the pelvis can cause clicking sounds when the baby makes movements (read more here). The disease begins during the intrauterine development of the embryo. The reasons are: exposure to chemical and physical reagents on the mother’s body, abuse of alcohol, impaired water and salt metabolism in the baby with acute kidney disease. Hip dysplasia develops when the fetus is in a pelvic position and with a sharp gain in body weight, which happens when the due date of birth is exceeded. |
Prevention
In order to prevent cracking joints in babies, parents should focus on light massage and gymnastics. For children from 0 to 1 year old, useful exercises are “Ladushki” and “Cobra”. They develop the baby’s tactile and mental skills, as well as joint ligaments. If your baby's hand joints are cracking, the Cobra exercise will have a positive effect. The baby should be placed on his stomach, the chest should be raised with emphasis on the palms of the child's outstretched arms. Light types of gymnastics are perfect for newborns. These are the usual bending and extension of the legs and arms in different positions. Pay attention to water procedures that you can do at home in the bathroom.
The prevention of diseases of bones and joints also includes a sufficient amount of calcium in the newborn’s body. During growth, this is the most important microelement with the help of which tissue structure occurs. The baby receives a certain amount of calcium from the mother's milk, so it is very important that the woman eats properly. The diet of a nursing mother should consist of calcium-containing foods. This is milk, cheese, cottage cheese, yolk, cereals, seaweed, vegetables, fruits, herbs, fish. If the baby is on artificial feeding, add vitamins and minerals in powders or capsules (as agreed with the doctor).
If a baby's shoulder joint crunches, this may indicate dehydration. Many mothers believe that a child under one year old does not need to be given water. This is a huge misconception! Give your baby clean water as often as possible. Experts also do not advise panicking if your child’s joints crack from time to time. Endless trips to doctors upset the baby. It is worth sounding the alarm if crunching in the joints causes pain to the child and occurs very often. Remember that advanced joint disease further disrupts gait, causing lameness and deformation of the legs.
Source fb.ru
There are few positive experiences that compare to the birth of a child. But joy is almost always mixed with anxiety for the health of the newborn baby. There are always reasons for concern: the baby spits up mother's milk, the temperature has risen, or he looks lethargic. It happens that a baby’s joints crack.
The situation is aggravated by the fact that in infancy (from birth to one year of age) and early childhood, a little person cannot tell where it hurts and how much it hurts. Is crunching a signal of danger threatening the baby's health?
What you need to pay attention to
Pain caused by movement of the limbs indicates the beginning of the development of pathology. Parents need to take the baby to a specialist and get a diagnosis.
When visiting a specialist, he will definitely explain why a baby’s joints are cracking and what features you need to pay attention to. Occasional sounds while the baby is moving are acceptable.
You should suspect the onset of inflammation in the joint tissue when symptoms appear:
- When a crunch occurs, the child begins to become very capricious. He can pull a limb under himself, which causes discomfort and pain.
- Carrying out the slightest movement, sound in the joint tissue is heard from several places at the same time.
- At the site of localization of the pathology, swelling of the soft tissues or an increase in body temperature occurs.
- Hyperemia of the skin appears.
- When attending a massage course, the joints of the knee and pelvis make sounds when the legs are bent in different directions.
Important! If your baby’s joints are cracking and causing him discomfort, you should contact a pediatric orthopedist to take an X-ray and prevent the development of the inflammatory process.
Rheumatoid arthritis distorts the functioning of the heart. An experienced specialist will notice changes in tones and the addition of noise when listening to the organ during a routine examination. An ultrasound examination will confirm the development of pathology.
Prevention
- pay attention to changes in the child’s behavior and do not ignore his complaints;
- provide proper nutrition with sufficient vitamins and calcium (fresh fruits and vegetables, milk, cottage cheese, lean meat, sea fish, etc.);
- ensure that the child walks and sits correctly.
Crunching at the age when joints are forming is not a reason to panic. With rare exceptions, joint pathology can be eliminated. But in order for the child to grow and develop normally, it is necessary to take timely measures to eliminate the disease and prevent recurrence.
Additional information on the topic of the article can be found in the video:
Source lechisustavv.ru
Diagnosis of joint tissue pathology in children
Blood sampling from a small patient with suspected development of joint and cartilage pathology.
Before making a final diagnosis and understanding why the baby’s joints are cracking, it is necessary to properly examine the child.
The orthopedist prescribes laboratory and instrumental studies for the newborn:
- Take a general blood test, the results of which will show whether there is an inflammatory process in the body.
- Take a biochemical blood test, the results of which will reveal rheumatoid factor and seromucoid.
- An ultrasound examination of the joint tissue will help identify dysplasia and scan the level of synovial fluid.
Ultrasound examination of the pelvic bones of a newborn. The study is carried out routinely at the age of 1 month. The price of diagnostics in a private clinic is up to 700 rubles.
Important! X-rays are performed in rare cases, but provide a complete description of the picture of possible pathology. Computed tomography of joint tissue is performed when a child reaches the age of three under general anesthesia for medical reasons.
CT and MRI are performed in childhood under general anesthesia. The procedure lasts up to 40 minutes. The child must be immobilized and in a relaxed state at all times.
From first year to adolescence
If the baby is over a year old and the child’s knees or other joints are cracking, this may indicate chronic inflammatory diseases, developmental pathologies, or excessive stress on the joints.
Lumbar spondyloarthritis
In children and adolescents, joint inflammation is most often caused by arthritis (reactive, juvenile rheumatoid, ankylosing spondylitis). Reactive arthritis occurs after intestinal or urogenital infections. The causes of the last two arthritis are not fully established. Most experts are inclined to autoimmune nature. Arthritis affects large joints (knee, shoulder, etc.), small joints (interphalangeal joints of the fingers), vertebrae and intervertebral discs of the spine.
The cause of the crunch may be arthrosis (degenerative-dystrophic changes of a non-inflammatory nature). Arthrosis can be the result of hip dysplasia or congenital defects of other joints. Incorrect skeletal geometry leads to overload of individual developing joints and their deformation.
Incorrect and correct posture of a child at the table
Incorrect posture when sitting at a desk or walking can lead to overload.
Arthrosis can be caused by metabolic diseases. They lead to defects in the formation of bones and joints, deviations in the composition and quantity of synovial fluid.
Another reason is obesity. Excess weight negatively affects the condition of joints at any age.
Early exercise can have a bad effect on your joints. The point here is not the sport itself, but the fact that in the pursuit of records and medals, training loads are inflated. For example, numerous squats, especially with weights, are not good for a skeleton that is not fully formed - the joints of the knees and spine can suffer.
A joint crunch can be a consequence of an injury.
What to take for a viral infection in an infant?
One of the drugs that can be used to treat very young children, including newborns and premature babies with a gestational age of less than 34 weeks, is the antiviral drug VIFERON.
VIFERON has a wide spectrum of antiviral activity. Alpha-2b interferon, which is part of the drug, was created on the basis of modern technologies. Antiviral properties allow it to block the reproduction of the virus, and the immunomodulatory effect helps restore immunity. The drug was developed as a result of fundamental research in the field of immunology, which proved that in the presence of antioxidants (vitamins C, E and others), the antiviral effect of interferon is enhanced.
For the treatment of children under one year old, the drug VIFERON is used in the form of suppositories and gel. The ointment is used to treat children over 1 year of age.
Children under 7 years old, incl. newborns and premature infants with a gestational age of more than 34 weeks are prescribed VIFERON Suppositories (suppositories) 150,000 IU, 1 suppository 2 times a day after 12 hours every day for 5 days. According to clinical indications, therapy can be continued. The break between courses is 5 days.
Premature newborns with a gestational age of less than 34 weeks are recommended to use the drug VIFERON 150,000 IU, 1 suppository 3 times a day after 8 hours every day for 5 days.
The article “Acute respiratory infections in children: optimization of treatment tactics” describes the results of a study of the use of the drug VIFERON in the treatment of ARVI and influenza.1 In the group consisting of children of different ages who received the drug, positive dynamics were observed: body temperature tended to normal, symptoms decreased intoxication, the intensity decreased until the cessation of catarrhal symptoms (cough, runny nose) and respiratory syndrome (difficulty breathing) on average two days earlier than in the control group. For children undergoing treatment in a hospital, nosocomial infection becomes a frequent problem and threat to delay treatment and complications of the underlying disease. It is important that among children who received VIFERON, infection occurred half as often.
Depending on the pediatrician’s recommendations, for the treatment of ARVI, it is necessary to apply a strip of VIFERON Gel approximately 0.5 cm long to the nasal mucosa 3-5 times a day for 5 days. Before this, it is better to rinse the mucous membrane with saline solution. In order to protect a child from ARVI, it is necessary to apply a strip of gel approximately 0.5 cm long to the nasal mucosa 2 times a day as a preventive measure. Course duration is 2-4 weeks.
VIFERON is the most prescribed antiviral drug for the treatment of ARVI for children from the first days of life. In 2021 he received the Russian Pharma Awards.ii
Child development
Up to a year, the baby’s skeleton is just adapting to the subsequent load. His changes occur gradually - first the child learns to roll over, then sit down. The development of joints during this period follows a sequential path - from top to bottom.
If the sound during movement is caused by insufficient production of water and lubricant enveloping the joint, then parents need to pay attention to the baby’s fluid intake. Newborns must be given boiled water in between feedings.
After introducing complementary foods, children can be given diluted juice, dried fruit compote and children's herbal tea. Chamomile helps relieve inflammation and can be brewed and given to a child to drink for a two-week course.
After birth, small children are little adapted to life outside the womb. The infant's internal organ systems and musculoskeletal system function poorly.
The dynamics of development of the entire organism is not always proportional. Breasts gain weight, which interferes with the strengthening of bone tissue.
After six months, the babies begin to move actively and gradually lose weight. Most children by this time learn to sit, some of them are already starting to crawl.
Fat goes away, muscles and tendons appear, bones become strong and strong. By the end of the first year of life, the child will be able to stand confidently on his feet.
The development of the articular and ligamentous apparatus is a long process that lasts for several years.
Treatment methods
If your baby's joints crack regularly and cause concern, you should visit a specialist's office. The doctor will prescribe a standard set of examinations: ultrasound of the heart and joints, biochemical analysis of blood and urine.
If the diagnosis does not reveal any abnormalities, treatment is not required. Experts recommend giving the baby more water, as it is responsible for the formation of interarticular fluid.
If the cause of the crunching is infection, rheumatism, arthritis, the baby is prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics, antibiotics and other medications that do not harm the child’s health. In case of weakness, underdevelopment of muscles or their increased mobility, therapeutic massage is prescribed in combination with medications.
Experts strongly advise against self-medicating your baby.
The treatment program depends on what problem was discovered during diagnosis.
Medicines are used strictly as prescribed by the doctor. You need to be especially careful with antibiotics. For young children, it is preferable to use medications in the form of powders and emulsions, syrups, ointments and suppositories.
Often a crunch in the hip joint in a baby indicates dysplasia. Special abductor orthopedic splints, “stirrups” and free swaddling will help correct the situation.
It is worth taking into account what Komarovsky says about the crunching in the joints of a baby. With intervention at the initial stages, the disease responds well to treatment.
In its advanced form, dysplasia leads to impaired motor function, lameness and disability.
