Did you know that babies have 100 more bones than adults? Why you ask? It is because as babies grow, their smaller bones will fuse together creating larger bones.
New borns have approximately 305 bones. Adults have 206 bones. The process of a bone developing is called ossification. It starts around the eighth week as an embryo. The bones start out very flexible as it is mostly cartilage. This is necessary to be able to grow properly. As the baby grows some of the bones will fuse together.
Bones are in constant change throughout your entire life. This is process is called remodeling. This results in the formation of new bone tissue and the break down of older bones into minerals and calcium which eventually makes its way into your bloodstream. This is also commonly referred to as resorption.
Resorption results in bone loss. In addition to natural age advancements that cause resorption, hormonal change and excessive alcohol consumption will speed this process up as well.
Osteoporosis
The most common bone loss (resorption) is osteoporosis. Osteoporosis causes bones to loose their density thereby causing someone to be more susceptible to bone fractures.
Childhood Musts
The important thing to remember is to make sure your child gets enough calcium in their diet. Milk, cheese, yogurt, almonds, white beans, leafy greens, and seeds. Getting enough exercise is also very important as this promotes great bone health.
Protein, protein, protein
Protein is a crucial component to health in general but also for great bone health. Meat is a great way to get protein. If you are a vegetarian, make sure you research the best vegetables so that you get enough protein to balance your diet.
Did you know this about babies? Crazy, right?
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