What is Rickets and Osteomalacia Symptoms Causes and Treatment
Rickets and Osteomalacia is disease of the bones. Rickets is a condition that affects bone development in children.
It causes bone pain, poor growth and soft, weak bones that can lead to bone deformities.
If the same happens in adults, it is called osteomalacia or soft bones.
What causes rickets? Vitamin D Deficiency or Calcium deficiency is the most common cause of rickets.
These deficiencies develop, if you are not exposing the skin to sunlight, and don’t eat vitamin D rich foods, such as fish, eggs, dairy products and fortified cereals.
In rare cases, children can be born with a genetic form of rickets. It can also develop if another condition affects how vitamins and minerals are absorbed by the body.
Rickets was common in the past in the western world, but it mostly disappeared during the early 20th century after foods were fortified with vitamin D. In recent years, an increase in cases of rickets is noticed.
Because a significant number of people have low levels of vitamin D in their blood.
Rickets is more common in children with dark skin, because their skin produces less vitamin d due to a dark pigment in their skin.
So it is more common in children of Asian, African-Caribbean and Middle Eastern origin.
Babies born prematurely are also at risk of developing rickets because they build up stores of vitamin D while they’re in the womb.
Babies who are exclusively breastfed, especially for longer than 6 months, may also be at risk of vitamin D deficiency. Sometimes medication also interferes with vitamin D absorption.
It is recommended that pregnant and breastfeeding women should consider taking vitamin D daily.
How to Treat Rickets?
For most children, rickets can be successfully treated by ensuring they eat foods that contain calcium and vitamin D, or by taking vitamin supplements.
If your child has problems absorbing vitamins and minerals, they may need a higher supplement dose.
Spending some time in sunlight is also necessary.
What are Rickets Symptoms
1. Bone Pain – the bones become sore and painful
2. Skeletal Deformities like thickening of the ankles, wrists and knees, bowed legs, soft skull bones.
3. Dental Problems – including weak tooth enamel, delay in teeth coming through.
4. Poor Growth and Development of childern
5. Fragile Bones that are prone to fractures.
6. Low Calcium in blood causing muscle cramps, twitching, tingling in the hands and feet, and fits.
Adults can experience similar symptoms such as bone pain, muscle weakness and fragile bones that are more prone to fractures. In adults, these symptoms are known as osteomalacia.
If you have any signs of this condition, consult your doctor and get it diagnosed.
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