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What is the treatment for bowlegs?

This Premium Q&A, reviewed and published, features a real conversation between an iCliniq user and a physician.

Patient's Query

Hi doctor,

There is a baby girl in our orphanage, who has bowlegs. She was abandoned at birth, and she is four years old. What treatment can be offered to her?

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

This condition is caused by many disorders. One of the commonest situation to cause this is vitamin D deficiency or rickets. Get the following investigations done:

  1. Serum calcium.
  2. Phosphate.
  3. Alkaline phosphatase.
  4. Urea.
  5. Creatinine.
  6. Vitamin D level.
  7. Hemoglobin.
  8. X-ray legs and bilateral wrists.

I suggest you try giving her the following medicines:

  1. Calcirol sachet (Cholecalciferol), one sachet for 10 days
  2. Syrup Shelcal (Calcium and Vitamin D3), twice a day.
  3. Syrup Feronia Xt (Folic acid and Elemental Iron) 5 ml, twice a day.
  4. Syrup A to Z 5 ml (Multivitamin), once a day.

Give her adequate diet. Kindly provide the dietary details, so that we can plan a diet for her. She might need more investigations if she had diarrhea.

Revert with more information to a pediatrician online

Patient's Query

Hi doctor,

Thank you for replying. She has a normal diet. She has rice, vegetables, and a little chicken occasionally. She does not have diarrhea.

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

  1. It is fine if she does not have diarrhea. For the diet part, we need to calculate the calories and protein intake from the diet details. How is the sunlight exposure in her area? It should be adequate, minimum for 40 minutes.
  2. Apart from vitamin D deficiency, she may have vitamin D resistant rickets and other disorders like metaphyseal dysplasia and renal rickets. So investigations are necessary in this case. Otherwise, it will be difficult to monitor the treatment response.

For more information consult a pediatrician online

Patient's Query

Thank you doctor,

She lives in an isolated area, so it is unlikely that she can go to a clinic for investigations. In any case, it is unlikely that the orphanage can afford to pay. Can we just try the treatment and see if things resolve? Over what time is it likely that things might resolve? Can she be treated on a pro bono basis?

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

  1. Well, then we can follow the treatment. But few things are very important to do if she does not respond. Usually, these children respond within four weeks. But we need to get an X-ray for the response of treatment. She can go to some hospital, where treatment can be done free of cost or at low cost.
  2. So, start the treatment. It is not so costly. It should be continued for six months at least. Give the sachet only for 10 days, and we may repeat after eight weeks if there is no response.

For further queries consult a pediatrician online

Medically reviewed byiCliniq medical review team

Published At July 12, 2017
Reviewed AtApril 23, 2025

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