Vitamin D and rickets

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Contents of the article

Disease rickets
The relationship of vitamin D to rickets
Symptoms of rickets
Risk factors for developing rickets
Treating rickets

References Rickets is a disease that is fairly common in developing countries, and rare in developed countries. It is a disease that often occurs as a result of malnutrition and deficiency of some bone-forming elements such as calcium, vitamin D, and phosphates, which leads to Osteomalacia, weakness, and ease of breaking it, and in some severe cases, it may lead to deformities in the bone structure.

Although rickets is more common in children between the ages of six months and three years due to the rapid growth rate in this period, rickets can affect adults as well and it is called in this case the term osteomalacia, and it should be noted To the fact that rickets may be caused by liver disease, or in some cases a digestive problem.

The relationship of vitamin D to rickets

Although there are a number of different reasons that may lead to rickets, vitamin D deficiency is considered the main cause of the disease, as vitamin D has an important role in helping the absorption of calcium and phosphate from the intestine and regulating their levels in the body.
Vitamin D deficiency in the body leads to an imbalance of calcium and phosphate in the blood, which causes the body to secrete a hormone that withdraws quantities of calcium and phosphate from the bones, leading to weakness and softening of the bones.
Vitamin D can be obtained from many different food sources, such as fish, eggs, and dairy products.
It should be noted that the human body is able to synthesize vitamin D when exposed to sunlight, so care must be taken to ensure that children have a complete diet, and expose them to sunlight regularly, and it is worth noting that the incidence of rickets among children decreased during previous years in developed countries. As a result of producing baby foods fortified with nutrients, including vitamin D.

Symptoms of rickets

There are many different symptoms that may accompany the disease of rickets, and the severity of the symptoms varies from one person to another, and it may be intermittent in some cases, and the following is an explanation of some common symptoms.

Feeling of pain in the bones.
Easy bone fracture.
Stiffness and loss of elasticity limbs in babies.
Low level of calcium in the blood.
Swelling of the cartilaginous ribs in the chest, and the protrusion of bones in the area where the ribs connect with the breastbone.
Knees colliding with one another in older children.
The child’s short stature and low weight.
The curvature of the legs in young children.
Abnormalities of the pelvis, spine, and skull in some cases.
Widen wrists.
Muscle spasms can involve all parts of the body.

Risk factors for developing rickets

Premature birth.
People with black skin.
Take some types of medicine.
Low sun exposure.
Vitamin D deficiency in the mother during pregnancy.

Treating rickets

The treatment of rickets depends on the main cause that led to the disease, and if the disease was caused by a health problem such as kidney disease, the focus is on treating or controlling this problem.
In the event that rickets is due to hereditary causes, then phosphorous and vitamin D drugs are given in their active form.
In cases of rickets caused by malnutrition, it is recommended to eat meals rich in calcium, phosphate, and vitamin D, or take nutritional supplements such as fish oil, and increase exposure to sunlight, and the patient may need to take calcium and vitamin D supplements on a daily basis.

Important notice:

All the articles that we provide to you are general medical information,

so we provide health education on some topics that the mother or family needs, but each child has a special case so that we stress that no action is taken without returning to the family doctor.