| With the development in diagnosis and treatment, people have paid more attention to the reduction of bone mineral density (BMD) in children. Reasons for low BMD in children are diversified. Insufficient intake of calcium and vitamin D during the period of adolescent growth spurt may be one of the primary causes. Other clinical relevant factors leading to the reduction of BMD in children include osteogenesis imperfecta, rickets, juvenile rheumatoid, chronic arthritis, osteopenia associated with neuromuscular disorders, and idiopathic osteoporosis. In order to give the clinicians an early cognition of the causes leading to low BMD in children and how to handle these problems, and to provide effective treatments for the reduction of BMD, this article reviews the process of normal skeletal mineralization, the techniques of BMD measurement, the pathophysiology of osteopenia, and the evaluation of treatment options. |