People with rickets may have weak and soft bones, stunted growth, and, in severe cases, skeletal deformities. Rickets is a skeletal disorder that is brought on by a deficiency of vitamin D, calcium, or phosphate, nutrients that are essential for the development of strong, healthy bones.
When rickets is caused by another underlying medical condition, your child may need additional medications or other treatment. Some skeletal deformities brought on by rickets may require corrective surgery. However, in general, adding vitamin D or calcium to the diet corrects the bone problems associated with rickets.
Other medications might be needed to treat rare inherited conditions caused by low levels of phosphorus, the other mineral that makes up bone.
Symptoms
Among the rickets symptoms and signs are:
- Delayed growth
- Delayed motor skills
- Leg, pelvic, and back pain
- Muscle weakness
Growth plates, which are areas of a child’s bones’ ends where tissue is still forming, can become softened by rickets, which can result in skeletal deformities like:
- either bowed or kneeling
- Thickened wrists and ankles
- Breastbone projection
Causes
Rickets can happen if your child’s body doesn’t get enough vitamin D or if his or her body has issues using vitamin D properly. On occasion, not getting enough calcium or lack of calcium and vitamin D can cause rickets. A child’s body needs vitamin D to absorb calcium and phosphorus from food.
Lack of vitamin D
Lack of these two sources of vitamin D in children can cause a deficiency:
- Sunlight.Children in developed nations typically spend less time outside and are more likely to use sunscreen, which blocks the sun’s rays that cause the skin to produce vitamin D. This results in children’s skin not producing vitamin D as much as it should.
- Food.Vitamin D has also been added to some foods and beverages, including milk, cereal, and some fruit juices, as well as fish oil, egg yolks, and fatty fish, such as salmon and mackerel.
Problems with absorption
Many conditions, such as the following, can affect how well children’s bodies absorb vitamin D. These conditions can be present at birth or develop later in life.
- Celiac disease
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Cystic fibrosis
- Kidney problems
Risk factors
Rickets risk factors for children include the following:
- Dark skin.Melanin, a pigment that is more prevalent in dark skin, reduces the skin’s capacity to produce vitamin D from sunlight.
- Mother’s vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy.The signs of rickets may be present at birth or may appear a few months after birth in a child whose mother suffers from a severe vitamin D deficiency.
- Northern latitudes.Rickets is more likely to affect children who live in areas of the world where there is less sunshine.
- Premature birth.Because they didn’t have as much time to absorb vitamin D from their mothers while they were still in the womb, babies who are born before their due dates typically have lower levels of vitamin D.
- Medications.Antiretroviral drugs, which are used to treat HIV infections, and some anti-seizure medications appear to affect how well the body utilizes vitamin D.
- Exclusive breast-feeding.Babies who are exclusively breastfed need vitamin D drops because breast milk does not contain enough vitamin D to prevent rickets.
Complications
If rickets is not treated, it may result in:
- Failure to grow
- An abnormally curved spine
- Bone deformities
- Dental defects
- Seizures
Prevention
The best way to get vitamin D is through sun exposure, which you can get from 10 to 15 minutes near midday during most seasons. However, if you have dark skin, if it’s winter, or if you live in a northern latitude, you might not be able to get enough vitamin D from sun exposure.
Infants and young children in particular are advised to avoid exposure to the sun or to always wear sunscreen and protective clothing due to concerns about skin cancer.
Make sure your child consumes foods that are fortified with vitamin D, such as: Make sure your child consumes foods that are naturally fortified with vitamin D, such as: Fatty fish like salmon and tuna, fish oil, and egg yolks.
- Infant formula
- Cereal
- Bread
- Milk but not dairy-based products like some yogurts and cheese
- Orange juice
To find out whether a food is fortified with vitamin D, read the label.
HOMOEOPATHIC TREATMENT
Calcarea fluorica
Growing bones, whether or not they have caries. Rachitic enlargement of the femur in infants.
jaw bones swell after teeth are removed, accompanied by excruciating pain.
Mercurius
With swelling come sharp bone pains.
Limb weakness, trembling, cold nighttime sweats on the legs
Phosphorus
The patient can only lie on their right side as their arms and hands start to go numb. Their feet are burning and they are shaky and weak.
Calcarea phosphoric
An excellent treatment for broken bones that don’t heal when poor nutrition is to blame.
Pain in the joints and bones along with stiffness and a cold, numb sensation
Ruta graveolens
Particularly helpful in cases where callus deficiency leads to non-union.
Stiffness and pain in the hands, wrists, etc.
Comments are closed.