What To Do If Your Kid Begins to Show a Deformity in His Back?

Deformed back or scoliosis, is a bony structural alteration that produces an exaggerated abnormal curvature of the spine.

The Cause

The cause of scoliosis is mostly unknown but is believed to have a lot to do with genetics. A family history of someone with scoliosis is an element that can determine the cause of scoliosis in your child .

As Presented

Scoliosis can occur in several ways

  • Parents bring their children to the doctor because they see a deformity in the back of their children
  • Parents take their children to the doctor for back pain and pediatricians to do physical examination and then realize deformity.
  • Pediatricians sometimes find curvature in patients without symptoms

The Types of Scoliosis

1) Categorized by the age of presentation:

  • Child – 0 to 3 years
  • Kid: from 4 to 9 years
  • Teenager ≥10 years

2) Depending on the angle

  • <10 degrees: which is considered normal
  • 10-19 degrees: it is recommended to only watch in this situation
  • 20 to 29 degrees
  • 30-39 degrees
  • 40 degrees

Diagnosis

The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, the Society for Research Scoliosis, the Pediatric Orthopedic Society of North America and the American Academy of Pediatrics suggest screening for scoliosis ages of 10 and 12 years in girls and 13 or 14 years in boys.

Treatment

Treatment of scoliosis are:

  • The observation
  • Orthotics
  • Corrective surgery
  • Physical therapy

When We Must be Referred to an Orthopedic Surgeon?

  • When the curvature is ≥7 ° in patients with high weight or BMI ≥ 85 percentile
  • When the curvature is between 20 and 29 ° in girls or pre-menarcales children 12 to 14 years
  • A curvature of more than 30 ° in any patient
  • O progress in the curvature of more than 5 ° in any patient

Treatment depends on how severe is the curvature and if your child is already at skeletal maturity.

As parents we must take into account the health and growth of our children. When the curvature of the back comes to serious conditions, which is more than 40 degrees, our children can present problems of the heart and lungs as well as physical deformity.

-Dr. Denise Núñez is a pediatrician and founder of the Niño de la Caridad Foundation in the Bronx