Epiphysis

Epiphysis is the area at either end of long bone of the body.In children it consist of cartilage, but later in life it becomes calcified and hardened like the shaft (diaphysis) of the bone.

In children, before the epiphysis changes into solid bone, it is very easily injured.Pulling ,lifting or swinging a child by the wrists or feet can easily separate the epiphysis from the shaft of the bone. When you lift a child, take him up bodily and not by his hand or wrists.

Do not try to play tricks with a young child's body, it may cause untold injury.Not only the long bones of the limbs have soft, cartilaginous epiphyses, but many other bones, like the collar bone and shoulder bones, also have them, and you must realize how easily injury can result from innocent fun

These flexible and undeveloped parts of children's bones are very often the seat of infections and inflammations, and are the parts of the bones in which the most widespread and destructive disease, "ricket", appears first.Rickets is a deficiency disease from lack of vitamin D in the child's food and lack of sunshine.

Giving him cod liver oil in the winter months and exposing the child to sunlight in the summer will prevent rickets.