9 Mo Old Babies Lower Legs Seem Bowed
Overview
What are bow legs?
Bow legs (genu varum) is a condition where one or both of your child's legs bend outward at the knees. This creates a wider space than normal betwixt the knees and lower legs. When your kid stands with his or her feet and ankles together, the knees stay wide apart. Your child's legs may await similar a bow, particularly when they walk.
Who gets bow legs?
Bow legs are common in infants and toddlers. The condition is rarely serious. Babies born bow legged usually abound out of the condition by the time they turn 18 months old. Bow legs besides can occur in older children. You'll want to have these cases evaluated by a healthcare provider.
Symptoms and Causes
What causes bowed legs in babies?
Bow legs develop for a number of different reasons. The most common cause of bow legs is a condition called physiologic genu varum. When your babe was developing in the uterus (womb), they were in a cramped position. Some of your babe'southward bones had to rotate while they were was in your uterus so they could fit in the small-scale space.
Physiologic knee varum is just your child going through the normal developmental process. If your child's legs oasis't straightened by ii years erstwhile, in that location may be another reason. These include:
- Blount's disease. Blount'southward illness (tibia vara) is a growth disorder caused past an issue in the growth plate of your child's shin os. Blount's disease is more common in African American children, children who are overweight and children who walked early.
- Rickets. Rickets is caused past a calcium or vitamin D deficiency. Deficiencies in these important nutrients make your child's bones softer and weaker, causing his or her legs to bow. Rickets is very rare in the United States merely still occurs often in developing countries.
- Dwarfism . The nigh common type of dwarfism is caused by a os growth disorder called achondroplasia. This disorder tin can cause bow legs.
- Other bone problems. Fractures that haven't healed correctly and abnormally developed bones (os dysplasia) tin can cause bow legs.
- Fluoride or lead poisoning .
What are the symptoms of bow legs?
The primary sign of bowed legs is the appearance of your child'due south legs. Their knees won't touch when they stand up with their feet and ankles together. The bowing is most obvious when they're walking. Sometimes children may walk with their toes pointed in (pigeon toes or intoeing).
However, bow legs usually don't crusade whatever hurting. Bow legs don't impact your child'due south ability to crawl, walk or run. If your child's bow legs don't start to improve by age 2, contact your kid's healthcare provider.
Diagnosis and Tests
How are bow legs diagnosed?
Your child's healthcare provider will do a concrete exam and inquire about your child's medical history. Simply if your kid is under 2 years old, your kid's healthcare provider probably won't do any further tests. Rather, they'll want to watch the bowing and make certain it resolves on its own every bit your kid grows.
If your child is older than 2, your kid'due south healthcare provider may measure your child'southward legs and watch him or her walk. They may order imaging tests such as X-rays to view the bones in your kid's legs and knees. They may order claret tests to determine whether the bow legs are being caused past a condition such rickets.
Your kid's healthcare provider may refer your child to a md who specializes in bones (orthopaedic specialist).
Management and Treatment
Can bow legs be corrected?
Bow legs in babies and toddlers under the age of two typically resolve on their own. Your kid's healthcare provider will continue to runway your child's condition. Older children can exist treated for bow legs depending on the cause of the condition.
How are bow legs corrected in babies?
No handling is necessary in babies and toddlers unless the condition is severe. If bow legs keep after age 2, treatment depends on the cause of the status. Treatment may include special shoes, splints, braces, casts, surgery or treatment of the condition causing the bow legs.
- Blount's disease. Early treatment with a splint or leg brace may be all that's needed.
- Rickets. Your child's healthcare provider may treat your child's status by adding vitamin D and calcium to their diet. Your child's healthcare provider may refer you to a specialist for treatment if the rickets is due to a genetic condition.
If bowing continues despite other treatments, surgery may exist needed to preclude further damage and correct the issue. Surgery options include:
- Guided growth. With this process, your child's surgeon will place a pocket-size metal plate or staple in your child's leg. This will temporarily terminate growth on the healthy side of the shin os so the unhealthy side can catch upwards. Your child'due south leg will straighten with their natural growth, and your child's surgeon will remove the plate or staple one time alignment has improved.
- Tibial osteotomy . With this procedure, your child's surgeon cuts the shin os below the human knee and reshapes it to fix the alignment. While the bone heals, it's held in place with a plate and screws inside the leg or a frame that's positioned outside the leg.
Can bow legs exist corrected naturally?
Treatment of bow legs depends on the cause of the condition. Early handling options may include special shoes, splints, braces or casts.
Prevention
How practise I stop my baby from getting bow legs?
There'due south no manner to prevent your baby from getting bowed legs. Simply y'all may exist able to prevent certain conditions that are known to crusade bowed legs. To foreclose rickets, make sure your child is getting enough vitamin D and calcium in their nutrition.
Outlook / Prognosis
How long does it have for a baby's legs to straighten out?
As your baby starts walking, their legs should start to straighten out. This typically occurs between the ages of eleven and xviii months. In most cases, the condition isn't serious and in that location aren't any lasting side effects. If your kid's legs haven't straightened by historic period ii, telephone call their healthcare provider.
When should I worry about my babe being bow legged?
If your bow-legged baby even so hasn't grown out of the condition by the historic period of 2, phone call your kid'southward healthcare provider. They can do a concrete exam, cheque for underlying conditions and determine the right treatment.
What is the outlook for bow legs?
Babies and toddlers typically outgrow bow legs past the fourth dimension they turn 2. They shouldn't take any problem walking, running or participating in whatever activity they want. In add-on, children with bow legs can go on to lead normal, active lives after treatment.
A notation from Cleveland Clinic
If your babe is bow legged, it'south commonly not something to exist overly concerned well-nigh. Most babies and toddlers abound out of the status without the need for whatever type of treatment. Your child's healthcare provider will monitor your kid'south status as they proceed to grow. If your child doesn't outgrow the condition by the fourth dimension they turn ii, your child's healthcare provider volition discuss handling options with you. Most often, children go on to atomic number 82 normal, healthy lives.
Source: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22049-bow-legged
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