951-303-6067 Many
of us think of osteoporosis as something that only affects mature adults.
Osteoporosis is the big "O" that often strikes terror into the hearts of
middle aged women. Now osteoporosis is also being found in children, especially
those who are chronically ill.
Dr. Jennifer Batch is the director of diabetes and endocrinology at Royal Children's Hospital in Brisbane, Australia. At an annual meeting of the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand, Dr. Batch said young people taking steroids such as cortisone, hydrocortisone, prednisone and gloucocorticoids are at extreme risk for developing osteoporosis. Also at high risk are youngsters who have diseases that involve nutritional problems. A couple examples of these diseases are anorexia nervosa and cystic fibrosis. If
your child is talking any steroids or has a disorder involving nutritional
problems, you should definitely have your child tested for osteoporosis.
The standard test is a bone density scan. It is a safe and painless procedure
that indicates the amount of calcium in your child's bones.
Sometimes
a doctor will order a blood test for checking the body's calcium level.
Blood tests cannot give an accurate picture of bone density. We can survive
only when our blood pH (the degree of alkalinity or acidity) stays within
a narrow range, thus our bodies do whatever is needed to keep that blood
pH balanced. If that means pulling calcium out of the bones to neutralize
excess acid, then that's what the body will do. The body will pull calcium
from any or all areas to maintain the blood's pH within that critical range.
Therefore, blood test results will probably show a normal calcium level,
even when a person has osteoporosis. That's why the only accurate test
for osteoporosis is a bone density scan.
Children with osteoporosis are not necessarily at higher risk for multiple fractures, as is the case for adults. The problem for children comes into play as the child enters into puberty. During puberty, children with normal levels of calcium increase their bone mass by almost 40%. Calcium deficient children with osteoporosis do not develop nearly as much bone mass. The importance for screening children and adolescents for osteoporosis has only recently been recognized. Therefore, there are few statistics on what percentage of children actually have osteoporosis. Even if your child appears to be healthy, it may be very wise to have him or her screened for osteoporosis. Should your child be chronically ill and taking steroids, then the osteoporosis screening is an absolute necessity. Bone
density scans may be arranged through your private physician. Health fairs
sometimes offer osteoporosis screenings at a reduced cost. Check your local
newspaper for announcements.
re-printed
with permission of the author
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