What bones does a baby not have. Stages of the formation of the fetal skeleton. Child's chest

We continue to deepen into the anatomy, this time we will tell the children about the human skeleton. Difficult topics should be presented to the child in interesting activities. Initially, we will pay attention if there is already interest in our own body, then we will analyze what exactly your little student likes: experiments, modeling from plasticine, application - everything can be used. In the article, I share the full information of classes on this topic with my son.

1. Human skeleton for younger preschoolers
2. Human skeleton with bones name - flashcards
3. The structure of the human skeleton: head, torso, limbs

Hello dear readers, welcome to the blog. Today we are waiting for a fascinating journey into the world of human bones. That's right, we will try, like cartoon characters, to delve into the bowels of the body. What will we travel on, on a magic bus or a flying ship, it's up to you. The main thing is that our little passengers should be interested. Go!

This is the first crossword in my son's life in his 5 years 6 months. For the knowledge of my child, it turned out to be quite easy, which indicates the full assimilation of information from children's encyclopedias. I will mention the literature of our children's library in the course of the story.

On 6 cards I wrote questions by hand, and on a separate sheet I drew a grid to fill in. You can do the same if you wish, but first evaluate your child's knowledge. If the answers to the questions are not yet familiar to him, postpone this crossword puzzle until the end of the necessary topics.

Questions:

1. Not a clock, but ticking.
2. The train endlessly delivering nutrients throughout the body.
3. When full, he is silent. When hungry - growls.
4. Organ of vision.
5. Human respiratory organ.
6. He talks and eats.

Alexander set to work with pleasure, he was really interested in solving a crossword puzzle. After graduation, I was ordered a new one about plants and their cultivation.

Most likely, your child became interested in his own body at a younger preschool age. After all, babies are so inquisitive and begin to ask a lot of questions. But do not rush and take the child on an excursion to the medical institute, limit yourself to looking at a similar skeleton of a person from a book My body from head to toe. Where the girl Anya talks about human bones, our muscles and how she grows.

If the things of the child from which he grew up are preserved, then take them out and talk about how his body is changing. Will the baby guess that the size of shoes and clothes changes due to the fact that his bones grow? After reading this book, you will definitely guess! At this stage, it will be a great addition to assemble your skeleton, even a child of 5 years old can handle it.

Many have X-ray pictures at home, show them to your little student. Look together and let them guess which part of the skeleton is located in the picture. If they are of good quality, then you can even see the texture of the bones. We had a picture of Alexander's ribs at the age of three and his mother's foot.

For children from the age of four, the book “Secrets of a Man” from the Magic Doors series will be interesting and understandable. It already provides information on anatomy, but still in an easy-to-understand version for children.

Increase

It is thanks to this book that we decided to fool around and paint our skeleton. The advantages of such games are that the child feels each of his bones while drawing, and then he can see himself in the mirror. My skeleton then asked me to draw a pelvic bone, but we won't show you that.

I can’t help but mention the book by the MIF publishing house “Bones and Skeletons”, where the baby will be able to see the skeleton of a person in his own height, as well as examine the skeletons of various animals.

Show the children a human skeleton in a video that is not very animated, but still better perceived than a slide presentation.

Skeleton. Body structure for children - educational cartoon

You can also watch cartoons about Adiba, which we already know from. Adibu travels through the Why I Stand Upright skeleton:

And an explanation about human muscles “Why I move”:

For little fans of developing cards, there are wonderful benefits that include a human skeleton with the name of the bones. They appeared with us for a long time in Russian, English, French and Spanish. Two beautiful mothers Katrin and Olga shared them with everyone, here you can download the cards. As you can see in the photo, we are talking not only about the human skeleton with the name of the bones, but also the name of all the muscles and organs.

I strongly advise you to immediately laminate the cards, as they will be useful to you not only in introductory anatomy classes, but also in the study of foreign languages. We do not live in Russia, so in our case it is very important. After all, there is nothing worse when you want to tell what you know and cannot because of ignorance of the terms in the language of the interlocutor.

The structure of the human skeleton

So let's move on to more serious knowledge. The first thing we explain to the child is that the human skeleton is divided into the following parts:

• Head skeleton;
• torso;
• upper limbs (shoulder girdle, limbs);
• lower extremities (pelvic girdle, limbs).

If you show it in a picture or on a skeleton model, then the preschooler will definitely understand.

human head skeleton

The skeleton of the human head is the skull, our children learn about this from cartoons long before we decide to tell them about their own body. To kid preschool age it will be enough to know that the skull protects his brain, which in turn is very soft and vulnerable.

Also, many children may be interested in why there is no nose on the skull? We explain that in fact the nose consists of soft cartilage that has grown to the bone. And after death, the cartilage decomposes.

Let's look at the skeleton diagram in the book The human body. What will the child immediately notice in the skull?

Photo enlarges on click

• Eye sockets that protect our eyes;
• teeth fixed by roots in the upper and lower jaws;
• the back of the skull is shorter than the front.

Explain that it is in the back that our brain is located. The only movable part of the skull is the lower jaw. Let the child open and close his mouth, he himself will feel it.

If there is a desire to go deeper, then disassemble some of the bones of the skull, which are not very different from the words familiar to the child. Show on your head, and let him repeat after you, showing on his.

1. The forehead is the frontal bone.
2. Whiskey is the temporal bone.
3. The nose is the nasal bone.
4. The occiput is the occipital bone.
5. Temechko - parietal bone.
6. Cheekbones - zygomatic bone.
7. The lower jaw is the mandible.
8. The upper jaw is the maxillary bone.

Since the lesson is designed for preschoolers, it is enough for them to explain that the skeleton of the body consists of the spine and chest. Ribs protect the heart and lungs, and there are 12 pairs of ribs in total. If the child already knows how to count, then it will not be difficult for him to add 12 + 12 and find out the total number.

The spine is our main support that supports the head and torso. In addition, it protects the spinal cord located inside. In the spine between the small bones there are intervertebral discs, they are solid but mobile. It is they who allow us to bend.

Let's do an experiment! What gives us the ability to be flexible?

As we have learned, the spine is made up of many small bones. Between them there are gaps of solid, but moving areas. Let's see clearly how this happens.

We will need:

• Chenille wire;
• 2 ballpoint pens;
• hacksaw.

We take out all the details of ballpoint pens, we only need a frame (plastic tube). We leave one tube as is, it should have open holes on both sides. We cut the other into pieces.

First, we ask the child to put a whole tube on the chenille wire and bend it slightly. Does not work? This is how our spine, if it consisted of a solid bone, we would not be able to bend, bend to the sides, many games and movements would be inaccessible to us.

Now we ask the child to put on pieces of a plastic tube, leaving gaps like intervertebral discs. Well, how now, our “spine” has become more flexible?

After this experiment, ask the child to make different body movements. Let him focus on the spine, feel its flexibility.

The functions of human limbs - arms and legs - are completely different. The legs are responsible for support and movement. And the hands provide a variety of complex movements. We ask the child to take objects with his feet and walk on his hands, it's fun and he will immediately understand the difference in functions. The skeleton of the hand consists of 27 bones, and the skeleton of the foot of 26 bones.

Alexander and I disassembled in detail only one limb, the son made it from plasticine.

Watching the work of the child, I realized that any knowledge of the human skeleton can be well understood and learned if such plasticine x-rays are made. Indeed, during the creation of such a layout, one has to analyze, count the number of details, pay attention to their shape.

So how many bones are in the human skeleton?

The adult human skeleton consists of 200-218 bones. And the skeleton of a newborn is about 300. What happens then? The baby develops and some of the bones grow together, larger bones are formed from them. Men and women do not differ in the number of bones - dad and mom can have the same number of them.

Dear parents, various sources provide information about the skeleton of an adult with 206 bones, 210, a little more than 200. And all these data are correct. Just explain to the child that each organism is individual, the fusion of children's bones in everyone occurs in different ways. So data 200-218 is optimal.

1. Our skull is made up of 29 bones.
2. Body skeleton:
   The spinal column consists of 32-34 vertebrae;
   Rib cage consists of 37 bones, which include 12 pairs of ribs.
3. Bones of the upper limb 80.
4. Bones of the lower limb 60.

The total count is as follows: 29+37+80+60=206. That is why many sources give this figure, but do not forget about individuality.

How much does a human skeleton weigh?

We all know the expression “light bones and heavy bones”. Sometimes you take a child in your arms and wonder how light or vice versa it is heavy - appearance sometimes deceptive. Despite this, there is a table according to which it is customary to calculate the weight of the human skeleton:

The bones of a man make up 17-18% of body weight.
Women - 16% of the total weight.
The weight of a child's skeleton is equal to 14% of the child's weight.

If there are scales at home, then weigh the whole family and calculate the weight of the bones of mom, dad, child. Such a presentation of information is sure to be remembered by the child.

Now, after all that has been covered, you can watch the video Human Skeleton to consolidate knowledge.

Even though the bones are very light, they are also very strong. But how strong they are depends on how much calcium carbonate they contain. Let's do an experiment!

What we need:

• Dried, clean chicken bone (leg or wing bone, we have both);
• cones for the experiment (glass);
• white vinegar (we have 5%).

We give the child a bone and ask him to try to break it. We note how tough it is and does not lend itself to children's hands. We examine the bone under a magnifying glass and from the sides we perfectly see the spongy bone tissue.

Now we put the chicken bones in flasks, we have three of them, and cover with vinegar.

Let the bones soak in the vinegar for 1-3 days, then discard the vinegar. The first bone from the winglet, the thinnest, we took out a day later. Now let the child touch the bone and determine what the difference is. You can see how the edges of the bone bend. It makes an impression on a child!

We got the second and third bones in three days. If you want more effect, you can drain and renew the vinegar once a day. And you can take vinegar essence, but we don’t sell such miracles. The bone from the wing, after 3 days, really bent perfectly along its entire length. But the thick bone from the leg softened only at the edges. Now you can easily break and see inside the medullary canal.

Experiment Conclusions

Bones are made of calcium carbonate and the soft material collagen. When the chicken bone was placed in a glass of vinegar, the acetic acid dissolved the calcium carbonate and almost only the collagen remained. Calcium is essential to make our bones strong. The composition of our bones changes depending on what we eat (food composition). A few foods that are high in calcium are milk, cheese, soy products, beans, almonds, fish (canned), and cabbage. After such a lesson, the child understands how important their use is.

On the topic of what human bones are made of, Alexander watched a cartoon that sunk into his soul. Asked to review for three days. In my opinion, for preschoolers, the topic is disclosed well but difficult. The opinion of the child says otherwise. After the screenings, the son can take an anatomy exam about leukocytes and blood cells.

What would a man be like without bones?

I asked Alexander such a provocative question. My child lay down on the floor and began to move like a slug.

- Like a puddle of skin!

Yes, my boy gave such a comparison. And I suggested that he look at it visually. If it's a puddle, then water. I took a rubber glove, poured water from the tap into it - and that's how I got a brush without bones!

Dear friends, our journey through the human skeleton is over. Finally, I’ll show you what gift my son decided to give me for my birthday, which coincided with our classes. He asked me not to peep, so that I would get a real surprise. And here he is!

“Look mom, the skull is smiling at you!” With these words, I was presented with a gift.

And I am sure that no mother received such a wonderful human skeleton on her birthday.

The development of the human skeletal system begins very early - already at the end of the first month of pregnancy. From the 21st day after fertilization, the laying of the spine begins. At 6 weeks, the rudiments of pens, hands, and legs appear. At week 7, the legs are intensively developing. At week 8, joints begin to develop, fingers on the hands are separated, the process of ossification begins (replacement of cartilage tissue with bone). 11-14 weeks of intrauterine development are characterized by intensive growth of the skeleton.

By the end of the sixteenth week, the fetus is already fully formed - it has all the organs and tissues without exception. His skeleton has all departments, all joints are formed. The process of ossification continues, which will end only with the completion of puberty.

The influence of any unfavorable factors during this period of intrauterine development can lead to the emergence of various congenital diseases of the skeletal system (congenital dislocations, clubfoot, osteogenesis imperfecta, etc.).

Features of the skeletal system in children: skull bones and teeth

Features of the skeletal system in children usually begin to describe from the head. And for good reason: the skull of a baby, unlike an adult, is not a continuous whole, but consists of separate pliable bones connected by soft sutures, which grow together only by 3-6 months of age. Between them, the newborn has two specific "windows" - fontanelles. Dimensions large fontanel at birth, it ranges from 3x3 cm to 1.5 x 2 cm, small - 0.5 x 0.5 cm. Usually, the closure of a large fontanel occurs by 1 - 1.5 years.

Teeth also belong to the skeletal system in children and adults. Teeth begin to erupt from 6 months of age. The process of teething occurs in two stages: first, milk teeth appear, which after 6 years gradually change to permanent ones.

SCHEME OF ERUPTION OF MILK TEETH

Attention! The timing and order of teething may vary. Thus, a delay in teething can be observed with rickets, with any serious illness, although it is by no means always a sign of a pathology of the skeletal system.

Sometimes the appearance of milk teeth is accompanied by fever, irritability, intestinal disorders, increased susceptibility to infections. If there are no other reasons that would cause such changes, then the child does not need to be treated.

Paying attention to the features of the child's skeletal system, it should be borne in mind that for two and a half or three years, all 20 milk teeth (10 from above and below) should be in the child's mouth. After four years, the growth of the jaw and facial bones begins, as a result of which gaps form between the existing milk teeth. But parents who are interested in the normal development of the child's skeletal system should be alerted by the incorrect position of the teeth, which is often observed due to the irrational use of a pacifier, thumb sucking by a child, etc.

A natural feature of the child's skeletal system is the replacement of milk teeth with permanent ones. It occurs in the same order as eruption.

Features of the skeletal system in children: chest and spine

The features of the skeletal system in children include the structure of the chest. In babies of the first months of life, it is barrel-shaped, the ribs are located almost horizontally and do not participate in the act of breathing. This leads to shallow breathing.

Chest circumference at birth is 32-25 cm B 4 one month old with normal development of the skeletal system, chest circumference healthy child should be equal to the circumference of the head, and per year 1 cm more than the circumference of the head. At 5 years old, the average “girth” of the chest reaches 55 cm, and at 10 years old - 63 cm.

Features of the skeletal system in children also relate to the "device" of the spine. spine baby almost straight, physiological curves appear gradually. At 2-3 months, when the child begins to hold the head, cervical lordosis (“deflection”) is formed. At 6-7 months, thoracic kyphosis (backward bend) is formed. At 10-12 months - lumbar lordosis. And only by the age of two, the child's spine acquires the same shape as in adults - it becomes S-shaped.

It's no secret that the spine is the "alpha and omega" of the skeletal system of children and adults. Posture (the habitual position of the human body) depends on the shape of the spine. Correct posture is formed from early childhood to 6-7 years in the process of growth, development and education. Defects in posture lead to the formation of persistent curvature of the spine, poor health, and frequent pulmonary pathology.

Elasticity and suppleness are a key feature of the skeletal system in children

A common feature of the skeletal system in children is that it contains more cartilage than adults, more water and fewer minerals. Due to this, the bones of children are more elastic and less fragile than those of their mothers and fathers. It is for this reason that children are less likely to have serious injuries, fractures. The periosteum is also elastic, therefore, in case of fractures, it holds bone fragments, fractures of the "green branch" type are formed.

The foregoing determines another feature of the skeletal system of children - the ability to quickly heal any damage!

But due to the elasticity, compliance of the skeletal system in children, various curvatures and deformities are quickly formed. Therefore, from the moment of birth, the child should sleep on a solid, even surface, be able to move freely, change position. Tight swaddling also does not contribute to the proper development of the skeletal system of children, as it leads to curvature of the legs, the formation of dysplasia. The presence of a small child in a walker, abnormal loads on the spine also negatively affect the formation of the skeletal system, as they lead to a curvature of the spine.

The same problem with students. Therefore, in order to prevent postural disorders (in other words, for the normal formation of the skeletal system in children), it is necessary that the young student sleeps evenly, on his back or stomach, sits correctly, does not carry a briefcase in one hand, is physically active, goes in for physical education, swimming, ate a varied and nutritious diet. Timely correction of flat feet is also very important.

And remember: with some effort in childhood, it is possible to achieve good results and correct deformities of the skeletal system in children, which is almost impossible to achieve in adults.

In the maternity hospital, the pediatrician treats the baby very carefully, checking, among other indicators, for congenital pathologies in the development of his bones and joints.

Features of the structure of the bone tissue of a newborn baby

The joints of a newborn are very similar in structure to the joints of an adult, but the skeletal system is very different. Only about 50% of the components of bone tissue can be attributed to ash substances. Everything else is mainly cartilaginous elements that enable the growth of the child and will gradually decrease in volume. This process usually lasts up to 18 years and is fully completed only by the age of 25.

Bone tissue in a newborn is contained only in tubular bones, while other elements of the skeleton include only small ossification points that increase as the baby grows.

This composition makes the child's skeletal system very plastic, which means that the bones and joints of the newborn are easily deformed. The baby's skeleton is so vulnerable that it can change even under prolonged exposure to gravity. That is why you should not allow the child to be in the same position for a long time or carry him in his arms in a constant position. The newborn needs to be periodically turned over to another barrel, shifted to the other hand, etc.

For the same reason, pediatricians do not advise putting the baby on his feet too early, even if he tries to do it himself. Such experiments can lead to deformation of individual bones and the entire skeleton of the child.

How does a child's skeleton grow?

The structure of the bone tissue of the newborn also has its own differences. The bones of a newborn are a coarse fibrous bundle system, in which a certain number of bone plates are randomly located. If the bones of an adult have significant cavities filled with yellow bone marrow, then in an infant such cavities are very small and contain mainly red bone marrow.

Thanks to a large number red bone marrow, the child's skeletal system receives an adequate supply of blood necessary for its growth. This process proceeds intensively until about two years of age. After a certain decline, the growth process resumes with renewed vigor already in the puberty period.

The growth of bones in length is provided by the epiphyseal cartilage. Its peripheral edge remains active until the age of twenty-five, due to which the bones get the main opportunity to increase in length and the child becomes taller.

For the thickening of the bones, their growth in width, the periosteum is responsible. In a child, it is dense, thick and functionally more active. This feature of the periosteum is very favorable for the child, since even with fractures, the periosteum often remains intact, and the bone protected by it fuses faster and without dangerous consequences for the child's musculoskeletal system.

The basis of the tissue of the joints of the newborn, as well as his bones, is cartilage tissue. The mobility of all the elements that form the joints also has differences. Since the newborn has not yet had time to develop the joints, the range of possible movements is still very small, but the likelihood of dislocations in case of careless handling is quite high. This immaturity of the joints, as a rule, persists up to three and even up to five years, that is, until the bone and joint tissue develops sufficiently, and the child does not master the science of controlling his body to the fullest.

The bone skeleton and the muscles attached to it make up the human musculoskeletal system. Like all vertebrates, the human skeleton is the structural basis of his body, determines its shape, size and proportions. The skeleton protects the brain and spinal cord from mechanical influences, and also forms cavities in which internal organs are under reliable protection. The movements of the links of the body are carried out due to the fact that individual bones are connected to one another using movable joints, and the muscles attached to different bones are able to move one bone relative to another. All human movements are the movement in space of the links of his body.

Features of the human musculoskeletal system are largely related to the size of his body, as well as upright posture. Nevertheless, like all mammals, the human body consists of a head, trunk and limbs, and the embryo acquires such a structure as early as the 3rd month of intrauterine life.

Bone. The skeleton consists of bones, of which an adult has more than 200. Bone is the most complex organ that, like all other organs, has a cellular structure. Numerous cavities and channels pass inside the bone, the bone is abundantly supplied with blood and lymph, numerous nerve endings approach it, which perceive information about the state of the bone tissue and transmit control impulses from the nerve centers. Inside many bones there is a cavity where the bone marrow is located - the most important hematopoietic organ in which all types of blood cells are formed. Outside, the bone is covered with a periosteum - a special protective sheath that is very sensitive to mechanical stress. The cells of the periosteum grow and multiply, allowing the bone to thicken as it grows.

Bone is a very strong and hard substance: 30 times harder than brick, 2.5 times harder than granite; the strength of bone is 9 times higher than that of lead, and almost as great as that of cast iron. The human femur in a vertical position can withstand pressure up to 1.5 tons, and the tibia - up to 1.8 tons.

The mechanical strength of the bone depends on the content of minerals in it, especially calcium salts. The bone contains about 10% water, 30% protein and other organic substances, and the rest (60%) is mineral salts. The most important organic component of bone tissue is the protein collagen, which forms elastic and viscous fibers. It is this protein that gives bones elasticity. The cartilaginous tissue that lines the joints and is found on the periphery of the bones of a young organism is a much less mineralized structure, containing a lot of collagen and little calcium salts.

Rice. 2. Successive stages of ossification

In children, the content of mineral substances in the bone tissue is much lower, therefore their skeleton is more flexible and elastic, it can easily be deformed under the influence of external causes - hard physical work, improper body position, etc.

The process of saturation of the bone with minerals is called mineralization. As a person grows and develops, the mineralization of his bones increases, reaching optimal values ​​by the end of puberty. Mineralization of the bone leads to the fact that the cartilaginous areas gradually turn into bone, therefore this process is also called ossification (Fig. 2). As we age, bones become less elastic, but more fragile. By old age, when the mineral metabolism is disturbed, a significant amount of calcium is washed out of the bone, as a result, the bones lose their strength, while maintaining their fragility. This is why old people have so many broken bones.

During the first year of life, skeletal ossification occurs very actively at many points. This is facilitated by the specific structure of the child's bone tissue, in particular, the relatively larger (5-10 times per unit cross-sectional area) number of channels through which small vessels pass inside the bone. Due to this, the supply of blood to the bones in children is much more intense than in adults. The development of the bone skeleton can be adversely affected by the imbalance of vitamin D, which is involved in the metabolism of calcium in bone tissue. Vitamin deficiency leads to the appearance of rickets, which manifests itself in slowing down the processes of ossification and, as a result, in violation of proportions in the development of articulated bones. Signs of rickets are especially often seen in the altered shape of the skull and chest. For the prevention of rickets, it is customary to give fish oil or synthetic vitamin D to children in the first year of life. At the same time, an excess of this vitamin is also undesirable, since it can lead to acceleration of ossification processes and inhibition of growth processes in bone tissue.

Rice. 3. Age-related changes in the shape and size of the skull. The numbers 5, 7, 9 mean the months of intrauterine development

The growth and development of bones ends by the age of 20-24 in men and 2-3 years earlier in women. By this time, the ossification of all growth zones is completed; replacement of cartilage in them by bone. Bone growth in thickness can, under certain conditions, continue later. This, in particular, is based on the fusion of bones after a fracture.

Scull . The receptacle of the brain, as well as a frame for the muscles that provide facial expressions and primary processing food in the oral cavity are the bones of the skull (Fig. 3).

The skull of a newborn consists of several separate bones connected by soft connective tissue. In those places where 3-4 bones converge, this membrane is especially large, such zones are called fontanelles. Thanks to the fontanelles, the bones of the skull retain mobility, which is of paramount importance during childbirth, since the head of the fetus during childbirth must pass through the very narrow birth canal of a woman. After birth, the fontanelles overgrow mainly by 2-3 months, but the largest of them - the frontal - only by the age of 1.5 years.

The cerebral part of the skull of children is much more developed than the facial part. Intensive development of the facial part occurs during the half-height jump, and especially in adolescence under the influence of growth hormone. In a newborn, the volume of the cerebral region of the skull is 6 times greater than the volume of the facial, and in an adult - 2-2.5 times.

The baby's head is relatively large. With age, the ratio between head height and height changes significantly. This ratio is used as one of the morphological criteria for the biological age of a child.

Spine. The spine of a newborn, like an adult, consists of 32-33 vertebrae (7 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5 pelvic and 3-4 tail), and their growth and ossification end only with puberty. The main distinguishing feature of the spine of a child of the first year of life is the virtual absence of bends. They are formed gradually (Fig. 4), as the body grows and antigravitational reactions (sitting, standing, bipedalism) are implemented, and are designed to provide the most biomechanically efficient modes both under static and dynamic loads. The first to form is the cervical curvature (bulge forward), when the child has the opportunity to keep his head upright. By the end of the first year of life, the lumbar curvature (also convex forward) is formed, which is necessary for the implementation of the standing posture and the act of upright walking. The thoracic curvature (bulging backwards) develops later. The spine of a child of this age is still very elastic, and in the supine position its curves are smoothed out. The lack of physical activity at this age adversely affects the development of normal curvature of the spinal column.

Rice. 4. Formation of spinal curves in the ontogeny of a child

It should be emphasized that the formation of normal curvature of the spine is the most important stage in the development of not only the bone skeleton, but also all internal organs, since the mutual arrangement of organs in the chest and abdominal cavity depends on the shape and bends of the spine. In addition, the spine is the receptacle of the spinal cord, from which the nerve pathways extend to all abdominal organs and tissues, as well as to each skeletal muscle. Disorders in the development of the spine can have the most severe consequences for health. That is why prevention is so important, which should begin already in the first year of a child's life, performing careful and moderate physical exercises with him and massaging him while observing hygiene standards and rules for handling a child. Most often, scoliosis develops - lateral curvature of the spine in the cervical and thoracic regions (Fig. 5), and often they occur as a result of improper child care. So, it is very important to ensure that the child sleeps on a fairly hard surface with a low pillow, in a comfortable and natural position, and also changes it periodically - this is one of the means of preventing cervical scoliosis. Scoliosis of the thoracic region, as well as kyphosis (anterior-posterior curvature of the thoracic region) and lordosis (excessive bending in the lumbar region forward) rarely develop at an early age.

Rice. 5. Posture:

a - normal; b - straightened; c - kyphotic; g - lordotic; d - stooped; e - scoliotic

Spinal growth occurs most intensively in the first 2 years of life. At the same time, at first, all sections of the spine grow relatively evenly, and starting from 1.5 years, the growth of the upper sections - the cervical and upper thoracic - slows down, and the increase in length occurs to a greater extent due to the lumbar. Thus, in the dynamics of the growth of the spinal column, there is also a pronounced gradient in the rate of development - "from head to tail". The next stage in the acceleration of the growth of the spine is the period of the "half-height" jump. The last stretching of the spine occurs at the initial stages of puberty, after which the growth of the vertebrae slows down.

Ossification of the vertebrae continues throughout childhood, and up to 14 years only their middle parts ossify. The ossification of the vertebrae is completed only by the age of 21-23. The curves of the spine, which began to form in the 1st year of life, are fully formed at the age of 12-14 years, i.e., at the initial stages of puberty.

Rib cage. The thoracic spine, 12 pairs of ribs and the sternum make up the chest, in which the heart, lungs and other vital organs are located under this reliable protection. The movements of the ribs under the influence of the intercostal muscles provide the act of breathing. That is why the shape and size of the chest are essential for the implementation of physiological processes.

In a newborn, the chest has a conical shape, and its size from the sternum to the spine is larger than the transverse one. In an adult, the opposite is true.

As the child grows, the shape of the chest changes. The angle at which the ribs are connected to the spine is reduced. Already by the end of the 1st year of life, this provides a significant increase in the amplitude of respiratory movements of the chest, which makes breathing deeper and more efficient and reduces its rate. The conical shape of the chest after 3-4 years is replaced by a cylindrical one, and by the age of 6, the proportions of the chest become similar to the proportions of an adult. This makes it possible to increase the efficiency of respiratory movements to an even greater extent, especially during physical exertion. By the age of 12-13, the chest acquires the same shape as in an adult.

The shape of the chest after 12-13 years is closely related to the physique. Representatives of dolichomorphic (elongated) types have an elongated, cylindrical chest with an acute epigastric angle (the angle between the two lower ribs at the point of their fusion with the sternum). In representatives of brachymorphic (with a predominance of width) types, the chest becomes barrel-shaped, short, with an obtuse epigastric angle. In the intermediate mesomorphic type, the epigastric angle is right.

Skeleton of the upper limbs. The girdle of the upper limbs consists of two shoulder blades and two collarbones. They form a rigid frame that forms the upper border of the body. The bones of the free limbs (right and left) are movably attached to the shoulder blades, which include the humerus, forearm (radius and ulna) and hand (small bones of the wrist, 5 long metacarpal bones and bones of the fingers).

Ossification of the free limbs continues until the age of 18-20, and the clavicles ossify first (almost still in utero), then the scapulae, and lastly the bones of the hand. It is these small bones that serve as the object of radiographic examination in determining "bone age". On the radiograph, these small bones in a newborn are only outlined and become clearly visible only by the age of 7. By the age of 10-12, gender differences are revealed, which consist in faster ossification in girls compared to boys (the difference is about 1 year). Ossification of the phalanges of the fingers is completed mainly by the age of 11, and of the wrist - at the age of 12, although some zones continue to remain unossified until the age of 20-24.

Skeleton of the lower extremities. The belt of the lower extremities includes the pelvis and free lower extremities. The pelvis consists of the sacrum (lower spine) and two pelvic bones fixed to it. In children, each pelvic bone consists of three independent bones: the ilium, pubic and ischium. Their fusion and ossification begins at the age of 5-6, and ends by the age of 17-18. The sacrum in children also still consists of unfused vertebrae, which are connected into a single bone in adolescence. At this age, it is important to monitor the gait, the quality and comfort of shoes, and also beware of sharp blows that can harm the spine. Improper fusion or deformity of the pelvic bones can have an adverse effect on health in the future. In particular, for girls, the shape and size of the outlet from the small pelvis are very important, which affects the passage of the fetus during childbirth. Sex differences in the structure of the pelvis begin to appear at the age of 9 years.

The femurs of the free lower extremities are attached to the pelvic bones. Below are pairs of bones of the lower leg - tibia and fibula, and then the bones of the foot: tarsus, metatarsus, phalanges of the fingers. The foot forms an arch resting on the calcaneus. The arch of the foot is the exclusive privilege of a person associated with upright walking. The arch acts like a spring, softening the shocks and shocks when walking and running, as well as distributing the weight when carrying loads. The arch of the foot is formed only after 1 year, when the child begins to walk. Flattening of the arch of the foot - flat feet (Fig. 6) - is one of the most common postural disorders that must be dealt with.

Rice. 6. Shape of the foot: a - normal; b - flat; c - various degrees of flat feet

The order and timing of ossification of the free lower extremities generally repeat the patterns characteristic of the upper ones.

A child is not a reduced copy of an adult, but a much more fragile creature. And the younger he is, the more vulnerable he is. This is very important to understand when assessing the safety of a child in a car. This article describes the main anatomical features of children that must be considered when choosing special restraints.

Have a soft skeleton

The bone tissue of a child is distinguished by an increased water content, a low concentration of mineral salts and a fibrous structure. Therefore, its bones are flexible and soft, including the bones of the skull. With a severe head injury, a child is very likely to have a brain injury, and this injury will be more serious than that of an adult.

Bones and skull (newborn). 1 - sternum, sternum, 2 - chest, compages thoracis, 3 - skull (top view). Cartilage is highlighted in blue.

There is a lot of cartilage in the child's skeleton, much less durable than bone. The cervical vertebrae are flat, composed of individual bones interconnected by cartilage. Cartilage is replaced by bone tissue only by 3 years. In an adult, the vertebrae are not only completely ossified, but also have a saddle shape. With a sharp movement of the head forward, they seem to support each other. But the baby's neck with a sharp push can simply break.

Cervical vertebra (axis) of a child and an adult (right). Back view. Cartilage is highlighted in blue.

Only by the age of 12, the bones of a child cease to differ in shape and composition from the bones of an adult. Muscles and ligaments, which also determine the "strength" of the body, in newborns and children early age poorly developed and account for approximately 25% of body weight (in an adult - at least 40%).

The proportions of a child differ from those of an adult

The baby's head is the largest and heaviest part of the body. In a newborn, the mass of the head is 25% of the total mass, while in an adult it is only 6%.

At the same time, the neck is thin, with poorly developed muscles. small child it is dangerous even to vigorously shake it on your hands. And with a strong push, the “heavy” head is sharply thrown away, and the main load falls precisely on the neck area, where the “margin of safety” is very small.

Children do not have an iliac crest

Until the age of 8, the child's pelvis has a rounded shape. It is only during puberty that the pelvis acquires such outlines as in an adult. The most important difference in the pelvic girdle of a child is the absence of the characteristic protrusions of the pelvic bones that form the iliac crest. It is he who prevents the seat belt from slipping up and injuring the abdominal organs: the belt falls into this “hook” and does not move higher. And in children, the iliac crest is still poorly developed, so there is a “diving” under the belt.

Iliac crest of an adult.

A child is smaller than an adult

All regular safety equipment - pillows, belts - are dangerous for the child, since they are designed for a person with a height of at least 150 cm. For example, airbags are designed in such a way as to unfold at the chest level of an adult passenger. A child, on the other hand, can receive a very strong blow to the head when the airbag is activated, opening at a speed of 300 km / h.

• http://bibliotekar.ru/enc-Semya/31.htm
• http://oybolit.ru/propedevtika/ocenka-sostoyaniya-rebenka/24-kostnaja-sistema.html
• http://www.deti-deti.ru/articles/interview.php
• http://fotelik.info/pl/art/po_co_ten_fotelik,11.html