Although it’s hard to comprehend when gazing at a newborn, the kid has roughly 300 bones – and those bones are growing and changing shape each day. There are 206 bones in the human body, which account for around 15 percent of its total weight. You read that right – there are over 100 more bones in newborns than adults? How did this happen? And how many bones does a 3-year-old have? Despite their appearance, bones are made up of living tissue, and calcium is constantly being created and eliminated. To better understand why you and a child are so different, let’s look at this from a baby’s point of view.
Bones Consist of What, Precisely?
Bones are made up of several layers of connective tissue:
- The thick outer membrane of the bone is the periosteum
- Compact bone: the smooth, hard layer seen in the bones of a skeleton.
- Cancellous: Within compact bone, it is a sponge-like tissue
- Bone marrow: A jelly-like core of the bones that produces blood cells.
Ossification is a term used to describe the process of bone growth. Around the eighth week, it starts to take shape. Isn’t it amazing for embryonic development? Your Children’s bones are made up of a connective tissue that is both tough and flexible, cartilage, while they are still in the womb. The cartilage in your kid’s bones helps make him flexible and easy to handle. A womb is restricted, and the growing baby needs to curl up to fit. When it’s time for the baby to make the exciting voyage through the birth canal during delivery, it makes it easier for both mother and child.
Bones Grow and Change as A Baby Grows
Your baby’s cartilage will gradually be replaced by bone as they get older. When you’re born, you have 300 bones; by the time you reach adulthood, you have 206 bones. There will be fewer bones since many of your baby’s bones will fuse. As with the cartilage in your nose, the area between two bones that eventually merge is also cartilage. Bones fuse all over the human body. One or more soft areas between your baby’s skull’s bones may be noticeable. It’s normal to feel a little uneasy about these “soft areas,” but they aren’t dangerous. Known as fontanelles, they’ll eventually fuse as bones fuse. Bone fusion begins when capillaries, tiny blood vessels, provide nutrients to osteoblasts, the cells that make bone.
Osteoblasts begin by forming bone that covers cartilage before eventually reshaping and replacing the cartilage in the process. The growth plates at the ends of many bones are where bone growth occurs in children. The bone’s final shape and size are determined by the amount of developing tissue in each plate. The growth plates close when a person reaches a certain age. Fractures and other injuries can be more easily caused by your child’s skeleton’s growth plates, which are weaker than other portions. Taking a fall off a bicycle can leave your child in a cast, whereas a fall on the ground can leave you with a bruise on your body.
What is Calcium’s Involvement In This?
Calcium is necessary to build new bone tissue, and both breast milk and formula contain it. Remind your child that calcium from these veggies (as well as dairy products) aids in their growth if they become reluctant to consume their leafy greens later in life. The modifications to the bones don’t end there.
Bone fusion and bone development have ceased in early adulthood. Adult bones are solid but light. You’re all set now that you have 206 bones, aren’t you? However, that’s not quite the case. Bones, which appear to be immutable, are subject to a process known as remodeling. When you get to this point in your life, the number of bones you have won’t alter at all. As a result of remodeling, calcium and other minerals are released into the bloodstream, forming new bone tissue. Bone resorption is a perfectly normal and healthy element of bone function throughout its lifespan. However, bone growth in children outpaces bone resorption.
Several factors can speed up bone loss. Among them:
- Aging
- Menopause
- Excessive alcohol consumption hormonal changes
As a result of osteoporosis, bones lose some of their elasticity, making them more susceptible to fractures.
Children’s bone development and fusion is a truly extraordinary phenomenon. You should also pass along specific crucial lessons to ensure that your child’s bones remain healthy for years.
Make sure your child’s diet is rich in calcium (and yours, too). Because the body cannot synthesize calcium on its own, you must obtain it from various sources, including diet and supplements. These meals include low-fat dairy products such as milk, cheese and yogurt, almonds, white beans, spinach, and collard greens, as well as seeds.
Incorporating weight-bearing exercises into your regular training program or as an enjoyable family activity is essential. If you want to keep your bones and muscles strong into your old age, it’s never too early to start exercising.
You can also consult an Orthopaedic in Lahore if you think your child has any bone deformities. If you don’t know which orthopedic is best, you can visit Marham to find the best doctors. Book an appointment with the Best Orthopedic in Lahore through Marham.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1- At what age an individual has 206 bones?
Although it might vary from person to person, the average age of 206 bones is between 20 and 25. By this point, the bone’s cartilaginous growth plates have solidified and can no longer grow.
2- Are teeth made of bone?
Though they appear identical, teeth and bones are pretty different. There are no bones in the teeth, and both are white and contain calcium, but that’s where the similarities end.
3- When do children’s bones fuse?
When a kid is born, the bone has three growth plates to develop. The growth plates have fused when a youngster is 14 to 18 years old.
