The breaking of a bone in a child is more than just a ritual. It may be a sign of future osteoporosis and broken bones.
Current guidelines for determining osteoporosis risk ignore childhoodFractures are one of the strongest predictors of futureFractures, yet current guidelines for determining osteoporosis risk ignore childhood
We looked at the history of broken bones in a group of middle-aged people who are part of the study.
People who broke a bone more than once as a child were more likely to break a bone as an adult. Lower bone density at the hip is a result of this.
If lifestyle changes to improve bone density can be implemented earlier in life, it may have the greatest impact on lifelong bone health.
Almost a quarter of boys and 15 percent of girls break a bone in their childhood. We don't know why some children break bones multiple times or if this will predict adult bone health.
There are many reasons why kids break a bone.
Children who live in poorer households have high levels of vigorous exercise, are overweight or have a high body mass index, and may experience physical abuse if they don't get enough calcium.
Children who break their bones frequently may have fragile skeletons, they may be "accident prone", or they may break their bones while exercising.
The question is whether kids who break bones have temporary reductions in bone strength during rapid growth or if these bone weaknesses continue into adulthood.
The people we studied are part of a study that tracked the development of a thousand babies between 1972 and 1973.
Study members have been assessed on a wide range of topics, including risk-taking behaviors, sport participation, physical abuse, child and adult deprivation.
They've undergone face-to-face interviews multiple times asking about injuries they've suffered as children. We can compare their medical history with their memories from childhood.
The Dunedin Study collects comprehensive information about other factors that may explain why some children suffer repeated broken bones.
Both boys and girls who had more than one injury as a child were more likely to break their bones as adults. In adulthood, those who were break-free in childhood stayed so.
The lower bone mineral density at the hip was not an issue for males.
A number of studies have sought to determine if children who sustain a single injury during their formative years have long-term health problems. The study shows that males and females who break in childhood are more likely to break in adulthood.
It's not clear why this is happening. The risk was not associated with other factors.
The results of this study could be used to raise awareness for those most at risk.
Parents of children who break bones in childhood should be told how to prevent them.
Increased weight-bearing activity, optimal intake of calcium and vitamin D, and increased dairy consumption are just a few of the behavioral changes that can be initiated early.
Adults with osteoporosis tend to get older. We hope to continue investigating the relationship between childhood bone health and adult bone health in this very special group of people as they age, to find out if the links persist after menopause in women or affect lifelong risk in men.
Kim is a senior research fellow at the university.
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