A report released by the American Academy of Pediatrics on October 13, 2008, has brought attention to the lack of vitamin D in the diets of babies and young children.
Vitamin D is required for proper absorption of calcium, and individuals not obtaining enough calcium or vitamin D can develop rickets. Rickets can also be caused by lower than average phosphate levels. When any of these minerals depletes in the body, hormones frantically work to produce extra calcium, phosphate, and vitamin D. The result is rickets, or a softening of the bones that often leads to fractures or deformity.
Those at risk for developing rickets are breast-fed babies, anyone who does not drink enough vitamin D fortified milk, infants that rarely go out in sunlight, or people who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet. Rickets commonly occurs in those experiencing rapid growth, especially during the period of six to twenty-four months of age.
Symptoms of Rickets
Many symptoms are present in rickets:
- Skeletal deformities, such as bow-legs, knock-knees, or spinal and pelvic deformities
- Dental problems
- Bone pain and tenderness
- Muscle weakness
- Increased tendency for fractures
- Soft skull
- Other bone problems
- Permanent bone disfigurations if not treated
Diagnosis of Rickets
Rickets can be diagnosed by a simple blood test to check for levels of calcium and vitamin D. X-rays may also be taken to reveal the extent of damage to affected bones due to loss of calcium absorption.
Treatment of Rickets
Increasing calcium and vitamin D intake and increasing exposure to sunlight typically cures rickets. Ingestion of cod-liver oil or oily fish can also help, although acquiring the recommended amount of vitamin D through diet alone is unlikely. Infants and young children should be getting at least 400 IU of vitamin D per day. Exclusively breast-fed infants should receive a supplement until they begin drinking vitamin D fortified milk. This is not due to a defect in breast milk, but to a typical decrease in sunlight exposure by most infants. Parents should ask their pediatrician to check their child’s vitamin D levels to see if they need a supplement.
Additional Uses for Vitamin D
According to the report released by the American Academy of Pediatrics, vitamin D also may reduce one’s risk of developing diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. Vitamin D may also help increase levels of bacteria-killing proteins which would prevent disease.
Without vitamin D, calcium cannot be absorbed into the body. Infants or children getting insufficient daily amounts of vitamin D are at risk for developing many disorders, and rickets is among them. Rickets can cause bone softening, fractures, or permanent skeletal deformities. The sooner that rickets is diagnosed, the more likely its symptoms may be reversed.
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