Children suffering from 'brittle bone condition' are overprotected and not allowed to exercise by their parents, a local surgeon has said.
Dr James Mugire, an orthopaedic surgeon from Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), says such limiting of children negatively affects their well-being as they develop.
Brittle bone is scientifically known as Osteogenesis Imperfecta, a genetic bone weakening condition that makes them brittle, thus can break easily.
In Kenya, the condition affects one baby for every 20,000 born alive and it is expensive to manage the disease.
"By their very nature, bone operations are very specialised and therefore very expensive. Fixing one limb can cost Sh 500,000 and above," he said.
Dr Mugire says that the condition is irreversible and the only way parents can prevent such cases is by not having more children.
The medic added that for a consecutive pregnancy, there is a 50 percent chance the next child will have the condition. He said that lack of information on the disease is a factor challenging the management of the condition.
He is calling on the government to provide adequate facilities to ease access to treatment and information about the condition.
Dr Mugire said that the KNH is able to handle such cases and they provide genetic counselling to parents with children living with the condition.