What is the reason why the baby's ribs protrude when lying flat?

When the baby is lying flat, parents may find that the baby's ribs are protruding, which may be a sign of rib eversion. There are two main factors that cause rib valgus: one is developmental deformity and the other is malnutrition, so parents need to diagnose their children's physical condition to better understand their baby's physical condition.

Causes of rib valgus

There are two main reasons for infant rib valgus: one is simple rib development deformity; the other is rickets. The vast majority of children's rib valgus is caused by rickets. In addition, the child's trouser waist is too tight and tied too high, which puts long-term pressure on the development of the ribs and causes the baby's ribs to be everted. Doctors recommend that children under two years old should wear overalls.

Symptoms of rib valgus

The clinical manifestations of rib valgus are mainly skeletal changes: muscle relaxation and neuropsychiatric symptoms. In the early stage, the patient is irritable, restless, inactive, has restless sleep, night terrors, sweating, and baldness on the occipital region. The serum calcium is normal or slightly low. During the active phase, there are often skeletal changes: square head, rib beads, bracelets or anklets, general muscle relaxation, decreased serum calcium, and other symptoms.

It is recommended to take the child to the hospital and ask the doctor to confirm whether it is rib valgus and whether there are other clinical signs of rickets. Then, blood calcium should be tested and the child can be diagnosed with rickets based on these comprehensive conditions. If rickets is diagnosed, treatment is required. The amount of calcium and vitamin D supplementation should be determined based on the results of laboratory tests. At the same time, pay attention to helping your child do chest expansion exercises, which can help improve chest deformity caused by rickets.

What to do if your child has rib valgus

For babies with rib valgus, early treatment is mainly based on calcium supplementation. If the recovery is good, surgery is not required because the child's bones have not yet formed and timely calcium supplementation can correct it. However, if there is no improvement after the age of two, surgical correction is indeed necessary. The risk of surgery is low and the recovery is good. Corrective treatment should be carried out in a timely manner according to the child's condition. Ask your doctor to diagnose the cause first and then prescribe the right medicine. At the same time, children should be encouraged to do some corrective exercises to help expand the chest and enhance respiratory function.

1. Breathing exercise: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, relax your body, close your eyes slightly, and gently raise your arms forward to the top of your head while inhaling. Pause for a while, let your arms fall naturally, accompanied by deep exhalation. Do this several times a day, each time for 10 minutes.

2. Do push-ups or hold dumbbells and raise your arms in front of you 3 to 4 times a day, each time for 10 minutes.

3. Do somersaults on single and double bars on an empty stomach every morning, but don't overexert yourself.

4. Jogging helps to enhance visceral activity, expand breathing volume, and improve chest development.