1. Keep Muscles Strong
A child with polyostotic fibrous dysplasia, a bone disease which is a hallmark sign of McCune-Albright disorder, can often suffer fractures in his legs, arms or facial bones. Because portions of the bone are replaced by fibrous tissue mass, even if your child hasn't experienced broken bones, he's at risk for deformities and asymmetrical growth. Treatment options are limited, but you can manage some of the disease's progression by keeping the muscles around the affected bone strong. Swimming and other forms of exercise that put minimal stress on weight-bearing limbs are ideal ways to strengthen his musculature. If your child's movement is limited by his disease, a physical therapist can help you create an individual program to meet his needs.
2. Monitor Sexual Development
The type of precocious puberty, or early sexual development, that is a part of McCune-Albright syndrome can be difficult for physicians to manage, especially in girls, so close monitoring is important. Your child's doctor will want to keep an eye on her growth, charting progress using the Tanner Scale to see how quickly she is passing through each defined stage of development. Routine ovarian ultrasounds to visualize estrogen-secreting cysts and blood tests to measure hormonal levels are also key components of monitoring sexual development. Once your physician has a sense of the cause and progress of your child's precocious puberty, you can develop a course of treatment.
3. Manage the Pain of Bone Disease
Unfortunately, many of the symptoms of McCune-Albright syndrome don't, as of yet, have viable and reliable treatment options to stop progression. Pain management, especially for children with severe bone involvement, is sometimes the best available option. Oral or intravenous courses of bisphosphonates can help to reduce the brittleness of your child's bones and may reduce the pain associated with fibrous lesions. If your child has had multiple fractures or the lesions are impinging on his facial nerves, surgical intervention to reduce the pain and damage may also be warranted.
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