Child he alth is the most important thing for parents. They worry about their child not getting sick, full of vitality and energy. But there are situations when a child gets sick, and this affects the whole family. In such cases, you need to contact specialists in time who can provide qualified advice. Serious diseases in the treatment of which require professional help include deformity of the chest in a child. Parents should take this ailment very seriously and contact the clinic immediately.
What is chest deformity?
The human chest is a kind of shield that supports and protects vital organs. It is also a musculoskeletal frame to which the ribs are attached. If a situation arises when a child has a deformity of the chestcells, then this entails serious consequences. Deformation can be both congenital and acquired. It negatively affects the work of all internal organs. It is worth recalling that the chest is designed to protect the heart, lungs, liver, spleen. And if there is a violation in one organ, then the entire life support system suffers.
Congenital deformity of the chest is also called dysplastic. It is important to know that such forms are much more common than acquired ones. Violations of bone structures occur, their formation in the womb, anomalies of the spinal column develop. Most often, changes are noted in the front of the chest of the child. Acquired deformities arise from a variety of diseases that can affect a person at any age.
Types of disease
All chest disorders that are known to specialists can be combined into two large groups. These are such deformities as congenital and acquired. But within each group there is its own classification. Also, depending on the location, the child's chest deformity has several forms. It is believed that it can be front, side and back. According to the degree of violation, the disease is often implicitly expressed, even almost imperceptible until serious pathologies appear that affect the functioning of the heart and lungs.
Congenital deformities are divided into the following types:
- Funnel-shaped, in the common people this type of violation is called the "shoemaker's chest".
- keeled,or "chicken breast".
- Flat.
- Cleft.
Acquired impairments are subdivided into:
- Emphysematous.
- Paralytic.
- Kyphoscoliotic.
- Scaphoid.
It should be noted that with congenital deformities of the chest, most often violations occur on its front wall. If it is an acquired deformity, then both the lateral and posterior surfaces may be disturbed. You also need to know that if there is a congenital deformity of the chest in a child, its treatment is most often surgical.
Causes of disease
When a child gets sick, parents try to find out the cause of the illness. In such cases, it is better to prevent the disease than to treat it for a long time. To find out why a chest deformity occurs in a child, you need to understand the etiology of the disease.
As already known, the deformation is congenital and acquired. Causes of congenital deformity:
- Genetic predisposition (heredity).
- Underdevelopment of bone tissue in the womb.
This is one of the most common causes of congenital deformities. You should also know that the underdevelopment of the baby's bone tissue can occur because the mother suffered infectious diseases in the first trimester of pregnancy. Congenital deformity of the chest can be affectedthe lifestyle of the expectant mother, insufficient intake of nutrients by the embryo, the presence of bad habits in the parent. The latter should include alcohol, smoking and the use of narcotic substances, as well as an important factor is the untimely appeal for help to specialists.
Causes of acquired disorders
Why does an acquired chest deformity appear in a child? The reasons that provoke it are listed below:
- Diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
- Tumours.
- Chondrosis.
- Inflammatory and purulent diseases of soft tissues.
- Various injuries.
- Unsuccessful surgeries.
- Excessive exercise.
- Metabolic disorders.
- Achondroplasia.
- Bone anomalies.
- Down syndrome.
- Asthma.
- Ankylosing spondylitis.
- Inflammatory diseases.
- Wife Syndrome.
All these diseases lead to serious consequences, and eventually deform the chest.
Funnel deformation
Punnel chest is another name for sunken breasts. This is one of the most common diseases that is detected at birth. In newborns, doctors record about one case in four hundred children. This disorder is several times more common in boys than in girls. The reason for it is that the cartilage connecting the ribs is underdeveloped. Outwardly, the violation is presented as depressions in the upper and lower parts of the sternum. The chest is slightly enlarged in transversedirection and, accordingly, the side walls are curved.
As the child grows, the disorders worsen, the ribs begin to grow and pull the sternum inward. All this leads to the fact that the heart and large arteries continue to shift and squeeze. If the child is a newborn, such deformation is almost imperceptible. It is visible only during long-term observation, when inspiration occurs. With a visual examination, changes in the chest will be noticeable only by the age of three. From this moment on, the child becomes painful, he is affected by frequent colds, there are problems with pressure. The funnel can be up to ten centimeters deep.
The occurrence of disease
If a child has a deformity of the chest, and it manifested itself at an early age, doctors identify several theories of its formation. One of them says that the ribs and cartilage develop faster than the sternum, and because of this they displace it. Other authors are of the opinion that the violations occurred from intrauterine pressure, which displaced the back wall of the ribs. This theory also includes anomalies of the diaphragm with the addition of rickets. Another theory says that the funnel deformity arose due to pathologies of the connective tissues.
Also, deformation can manifest itself in several defects, both not too obvious and pronounced. It all depends on the factors affecting it:
- Sternum with a degree of posterior angulation.
- Rib cartilage with a degree of posterior angulation at its insertionhim to the ribs.
Do not forget that the disease can also be aggravated by various anomalies of the diaphragm, which makes treatment difficult. Doctors also have several methods that help determine the severity of the disease. This is a quantitative calculation of the distance from the sternum to the ribs.
Kiding deformity in a child
In terms of the prevalence of deformities, the keeled one is in second place. It occurs with a large and rapid growth of costal cartilage. The shape of the sternum becomes like a bird's chest as it protrudes forward. Many parents have questions about what is chest deformity in a child? Causes and treatment (photos of patients are presented in this article) will be discussed in detail.
Keeped deformity in a child becomes more noticeable with age and develops as a pronounced pathology. But it is worth noting that with such violations of the musculoskeletal system, the internal organs do not suffer. Symptoms such as shortness of breath and palpitations may be observed. As for the spine, it does not undergo changes. Most often, the disease affects boys. Sometimes the disturbances are asymmetrical, with indentation on one side and protrusion on the other.
Causes of illness
The etiology of this disorder is not entirely clear, as is the case with pectus excavatum. It is believed that the cause is the overgrowth of osteochondral cartilage. In turn, it all depends on heredity and genetics. If relatives had such a disease, then it is possible that it was transmitted to the child. It is important to remember: if a child has a deformity of the chest, only experienced specialists will tell you how to fix this problem.
There is also an opinion that the deformation is caused by scoliosis and congenital heart disease, as well as abnormalities of the connective tissue. Most often, doctors divide this disease into three types:
- The sternum and ribs are symmetrical, and the xiphoid process moves down.
- The sternum moves down and forward, there is a protrusion. The ribs in this case are bent.
- The costal cartilages bulge forward, but there is no sternum disturbance.
Symptoms of the disease appear already in adolescence, but they are slightly pronounced. Sometimes the symptoms are clearly manifested during heavy physical exertion. The disease also contributes to the development of asthma.
A child has chest deformity: how to treat?
Methods of treatment are varied - it all depends on the degree and type of deformity, as well as on whether there are disorders in the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. If the violations are minor, then conservative treatment can be chosen. Parents who are worried about the he alth of their children often ask questions to a specialist: “If a child has a chest deformity, what should I do?” In such cases, it is important to listen to the opinion of doctors and not make hasty decisions. After all, the child's body is still developing, and with improper treatment, the clinical picture will worsen. In certain cases, doctors recommend surgeryintervention. Diagnosis of the disease plays a special role here.
Diagnosis
Today, there is a large stock of methods for studying disorders of the musculoskeletal system. One of the most common is radiography. It gives a complete picture of the disorders and, with the correct description of the images, can contribute to the effectiveness of the treatment. With the help of x-rays, you can get data on the degree and shape of chest deformity.
Another instrumental method is CT of the sternum. It allows you to determine the degree of violations that affect the heart and lungs, as well as the degree of displacement of the internal organs. Along with CT, another hardware method is used - MRI. It gives complete and detailed information about the bone, connective tissues, their condition and the degree of development of the disease. There are also additional methods that can describe the clinical picture. These include ECG, echocardiography and spirography. They make it possible to determine the state of internal organs.
Chest chest deformity in children: treatment at home
If the disease does not require surgery, then conservative methods of treatment are perfect. So, parents at home can help their child on their own. These treatments include:
- physiotherapy - moderate exercise and bone development will help when a child has a slight deformity of the chest;
- massage treatmentspecialist;
- physiotherapy prescribed by a doctor;
- swimming is a great way to develop the musculoskeletal system and cheer up.
If you follow and follow all the recommendations of doctors, then at home, parents will be able to develop their child, give him a chance to be he althy and stop the disease.
