Rickets is commonly found in children aged between 6 and 36 months. Babies with this condition have very soft, weak, and brittle bones in their arms, legs, and skeletal and spinal regions. Getting them treated quite early can help to naturally straighten the bones. Read on to learn more about rickets disease, its symptoms, and how to diagnose and treat it.
Rickets is a condition that affects bone development in children, leading to soft, weak bones that can result in deformities and growth problems. Children between 6 and 36 months old are the most prone to this disease. Rickets disease is primarily caused by a deficiency ofvitamin D,calcium, orphosphate, which are essential for healthy bone formation.
Rickets disease is quite rare today. However, in the rare instances of children being diagnosed with rickets, it could be one of the following types:
Sometimes, even if vitamin D levels is normal in kids, they are diagnosed with calcipenic rickets. This is when they cannot absorb calcium properly or when they aren’t able to metabolise the vitamin D they ingest from foods.
When children’s phosphorous serum levels are very low, and there is a problem with their renal phosphorous, they are diagnosed with phosphopenic rickets. In rare cases, children may be diagnosed with this condition when they don’t get enough phosphorous from the foods they eat.
Babies start showing these common rickets symptoms when they are between 6 and 36 months of age:
• Leg bones becoming soft, bowed, bent, or stunted
• Widening of knees in children who walk
• Widening of wrists in children who crawl
• Pain and swelling of the bones
• The ends of the ribs are swollen, a condition known as rachitic rosary
• Outward or upward formation of breastbones, a condition known as pigeon chest
• Deformities of the bones in the skull and skeletal regions
• Unusual delays in the growth cycle
• Dental issues (mostly cavities and problems with the tooth structure)
• Seizures, in rare cases (common in children that report extreme deficiency of calcium)
• Fractures of the bones
• Cramps
The cause of rickets can be one of the following:
Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and phosphate from food. Without enough vitamin D, the bones can't mineralize properly, leading to soft bones.
Calcium is a critical component for strong bones and teeth. Low levels can lead to weak bone structure.
Phosphate is another essential mineral for bone health. Deficiency, although rarer, can also contribute to rickets.
This cause of rickets is quite rare. In this case, children may be diagnosed with genetic diseases, which impact their vitamin D-absorption and phosphorous-absorption capabilities, thereby making them prone to rickets disease.
Common risk factors include:
• Children with dark skin as it hampers their ability to produce vitamin D from sunlight
• Children born to mothers diagnosed with extreme vitamin D deficiency during their pregnancy phase
• Children born or living in areas with limited sunlight
• Children born prematurely
• People taking seizure, antiretroviral, and HIV medications
• Children who are exclusively breastfed, without any vitamin D supplements
Doctors diagnose rickets disease by following one or few of the following procedures:
• Physical examination of the baby’s skull, legs, chest, wrists, and ankles
• Imaging tests like X-rays
• Blood Test
• Urine Test
• Biopsy of the bones (in rare cases)
• Genetic testing (in case inherited rickets disease is suspected)
Rickets disease can be treated if the condition is diagnosed in babies at the right time. Depending on the severity of the condition, doctors advise appropriate treatment methods, such as:
Treatment of rickets, in this case, involves feeding babies foods and supplements high in vitamin D for a certain number of years.
Parents are recommended to expose their babies to sunlight for long hours if the rickets disease is not very severe.
Exposure to sunlight and diet changes will help to straighten the bones of babies naturally. However, if the severity of rickets is very high, doctors may opt for braces or surgeries to medically straighten the bones in babies.
The best treatment for rickets disease is to increase the vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorous levels in babies.
Softening of bones in the arms, legs, and skulls and an overall moody/fussy behaviour of kids are usually the first rickets symptoms you should be aware of.
Deficiency of vitamin D, which hampers the absorption of calcium and phosphorous minerals, is usually the first and most important cause of rickets. If the condition is diagnosed early, rickets disease can be corrected.
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Source: clevelandclinic.org, mayoclinic.org, healthline.com, uptodate.com
Disclaimer: This blog provides general information and discussions about health and related subjects. The information and other content provided in this blog, website or in any linked materials are not intended and should not be considered, or used as a substitute for, medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Kindly contact your Doctor before starting a new medicine or health regime.
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