Question
My son is 3 and a half years old, and I’ve discovered he has pigeon chest. Should I first check if he is deficient in calcium?
Answer
If your child has pigeon chest, there’s no need for further tests; it’s likely a calcium deficiency. It’s recommended to supplement calcium immediately and strengthen physical fitness with exercises like chest expansion, prone support, and head lifting, performing them twice a day. These can accelerate the correction of the deformity. Mild pigeon chest has little impact on the heart and lungs, and current surgical treatments are not satisfactory. Surgery is generally not advised unless there is severe deformity. In girls, breast development during puberty can also compensate for the deformity in appearance.