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From birth, your child’s body has a primary goal: to grow bigger and stronger. Part of that work is done by building and strengthening new bones. Sometimes, the cells that build bone do not function properly, resulting in bone that is too soft or brittle. If this happens, a child may be diagnosed with a form of metabolic bone disease.

Doctors at the Pediatric Bone Health Program, part of Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at ºÙºÙÊÓƵ, treat conditions that affect the way bones develop. Infants and children with osteogenesis imperfecta grow bone that is brittle and fragile. Children with nutritional deficiency or who are unable to metabolize calcium, phosphate, or vitamin D may develop rickets, which causes soft, weak bones. Other conditions we treat include osteopenia and osteoporosis, which cause bone loss and can be linked to underlying conditions such as juvenile arthritis.

Metabolic bone disease is often diagnosed before birth, at birth, or in a child’s early years, when fractures, differences in limb length, or bone curvatures occur. Our goal is to improve your child’s quality of life, limit pain, and reduce his or her risk of injury.

Treatment to increase bone mineral density often includes infusion therapy, which is provided at Stephen D. Hassenfeld Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders. Occupational therapy and physical therapy are provided through Rusk Rehabilitation. We also collaborate with pediatric orthopedic surgeons.