Health Vitamins and Minerals Guide

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Vitamin-D deficiency rickets, a disorder that becomes apparent during infancy or childhood, is the result of insufficient amounts of vitamin D in the body. The vitamin deficiency may be caused by poor nutrition, a lack of exposure to the sun, or malabsorption syndromes in which the intestines do not adequately absorb nutrients from foods. Vitamin D is needed for the metabolism of calcium and phosphorus in the body, which, in turn affects how calcium is deposited in the bones; thus it is considered essential for proper bone development and growth. Major symptoms of vitamin D deficiency rickets include bone disease, restlessness, and slow growth.Rickets, Vitamin D Deficiency

Epidemiology

It has been estimated that 1 billion people worldwide have vitamin D deficiency.3
One study found the prevalence of rickets in non-Caucasian children to be 1.6%.4
In the UK, the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in all adults is about 14.5% and possibly more than 30% in those over 65 years old.

Occasionally, rickets may also occur in children who have disorders of the liver, or cannot convert vitamin D to its active form.

Rickets is rare in the United States. It is most likely to occur during periods of rapid growth, when the body demands high levels of calcium and phosphate. Rickets may be seen in young children 6 to 24 months old and is uncommon in newborns.

Rickets: Vitamin D Deficiency in Infants

Humans rarely get enough vitamin D from food, so they have to depend on sunlight to make it in their skin. The reason we are seeing Vitamin D deficiency today is that many people do not get enough sunlight because they are brought up in cold weather climates, or avoid sunlight because of fear of skin cancer, or spend all their time indoors. So now doctors are seeing rickets where mothers lack vitamin D, breastfeed, protect their infants from sunlight, and do not use vitamin supplements.

As shown in [Table - 1], investigations confirmed the presence of rickets. The serum level of 25 OH Vitamin D 3 was less than 5 ng/ml (Normal: 9-37.6 ng/ml). Serum creatinine levels and arterial blood gas analysis were within normal limits. Radiographs of the wrists also corroborated the diagnosis of rickets as they showed cupping and fraying of the distal ends of the radius and ulna with growth plate widening [Figure - 1]A. Radiograph of upper arms and lower limbs showed bowing and shortening with multiple fractures. The skin biopsy showed a markedly thickened stratum corneum and epidermal thickening consistent with lamellar ichthyosis.

Two cases of vitamin D deficiency rickets verify the occurrence of deficiency rickets in the United States in 1973. The two cases demonstrate the need for periodic reviews of feeding practices, especically when the possibility of so-called milk allergy is postulated. This may lead to avoidance of milk products. Fortification of various kinds of food with vitamin D does not ensure the protection from nutritional rickets of all children with peculiar feeding habits.

Related Post

• Vitamin D Deficiency
• Vitamin K Sources And Benefits - For Bones
• Calcium Benefits- Best Pregnancy Nutrition

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