What is a Baby Kneecap?
The kneecap (or patella) is more commonly known as the kneecap, but it's actually part of the knee joint, which consists of the kneecap and the tibia and femur bones.
The patella rests in the patellar tendon or ligament, which attaches to the upper part of the tibia bone through the quadriceps tendon underneath the kneecap.
Babies are born without any kneecaps because their bodies are in a state of growth and development now, so there's no use for it at that time.
The knee cap and how it works
The kneecap (or patella) acts as a kind of cushion between your thighbone and shinbone to help reduce strain on these joints during movement.
They are found in both adults and children but grow faster in younger people. The knee cap is present at birth, but it typically doesn’t begin growing until around age three or four, with girls maturing earlier than boys.
The anatomy of the baby knee cap
The knee cap or patella isn’t actually a separate bone, but part of our quadriceps muscle.
During fetal development, all four sections of our quadriceps are connected to one another and makeup what looks like one big muscle.
In babies, they do appear as one mass with no space in between; however, as we grow and develop into adults, there is some separation that allows for mobility in our knee joints.
What happens if they don't develop properly?
It’s rare, but sometimes babies are born without their kneecaps. It can happen when they haven’t developed properly in utero.
Sometimes they don’t develop properly because of structural problems, or there may have been something wrong with your baby that you didn’t know about before it was born (for example, if he or she had an infection).
If your baby doesn’t have kneecaps, will he or she be able to walk normally?
How do I know if my child needs help with her knees?
Some signs may indicate your child needs to see an orthopedic specialist.
If your child has knee pain, avoid playing sports or activities that may aggravate it. If your child’s knees buckle or give out, she may have weak muscles in her lower legs and need help balancing.
Keep an eye on whether your child complains of knee or joint pain with weight-bearing activities such as walking, running, climbing stairs, or jumping—especially if she has recently sustained a direct blow to her knee area.
Where can I find out more information about this topic?
Most of what we know about human anatomy comes from doctors and scientists. Many different websites provide information on specific topics, and they change as research in medical advances.
Doctors can also explain more specific details to you when you go for your annual physical exam.
To keep abreast of current trends and breakthroughs in your field, consider reading some magazines (such as The New England Journal of Medicine) or periodicals (such as Science Daily) that publish new discoveries daily.
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