Because of the COVID pandemic, you may be putting off visits to your child’s pediatrician. But a missed well visit could mean missing a scoliosis screening.
What is scoliosis?
Scoliosis is an S-shaped curve in the spine. It is a condition that occurs equally in boys and girls; however, the curve tends to increase more often in girls. Small curves usually don’t cause problems. But large curves can cause health problems like pain or trouble breathing.
What causes scoliosis?
The most common form of scoliosis is idiopathic which means “cause unknown.” Kids of any age — even infants — can have idiopathic scoliosis. But it’s usually found when a child begins going through puberty.
How do you know your child might have scoliosis?
Most often, parents, pediatricians or school nurses may notice one or more of the following signs of scoliosis:
- One shoulder blade more prominent
- Ribcage is shifted to one side
- One shoulder is higher than the other
- One leg appears longer than the other
Children who have scoliosis usually do not have any pain.
What is the treatment for scoliosis?
Depending on the size and severity of the curve, scoliosis can be treated in one of three ways:
- Regular check-ups with the pediatrician or spine specialist who will use X-rays to determine if the curve is getting larger
- bracing
- surgery
Appointments:
Click here to schedule a video visit with your child’s Nemours pediatrician.
Click here to schedule an in-person or second-opinion video visit with experts on the Nemours Spine and Scoliosis Team.
