Why does rickets develop

Young babies with rickets can be fussy and have soft skulls. Infants and toddlers may not develop, walk, or grow well. Older children may have bone pain and bowed legs, or their wrists and knees may get wider. The picture on the next page shows some symptoms of rickets.

Your child will need a full physical exam. Blood tests and x-rays of the arms or legs can help your doctor tell if your child has rickets. Treatment depends on the type of rickets your child has. Your doctor will find out why your child has rickets and treat the cause. Nutritional rickets is treated with vitamin D and calcium. If your child has inherited rickets or has an illness causing the problem, a doctor who specializes in rickets may need to help.

Be sure your child gets enough vitamin D and calcium. Your doctor will tell you if your child needs extra vitamin D or calcium. If you have a young baby whose only food is breast milk, your doctor may prescribe medicine with vitamin D. If your baby gets just over 16 ounces of formula per day, he or she will need extra vitamin D. Your doctor can also tell you if your older child needs more vitamin D or calcium.

Your doctor will tell you about how much time in the sun is safe for your child. To make sure your child is getting enough vitamin D, you should feed your older child foods that are high in calcium, such as milk, cheese, and salad greens. Already a member or subscriber? Log in. Interested in AAFP membership? Learn more. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Lambert AS, et al. Hypocalcaemic and hypophosphatemic rickets.

Carpenter T. Overview of rickets in children. Accessed March 19, Etiology and treatment of calcipenic rickets in children. Misra M. Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency in children and adolescents.

Vitamin D. Office of Dietary Supplements. Accessed March 22, Shaw NJ. Prevention and treatment of nutritional rickets. Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Horan MP, et al. The role of vitamin D in pediatric orthopedics. The Orthopedic Clinics of North America. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vitamin D deficiency. Rochester, Minn. The State of Victoria and the Department of Health shall not bear any liability for reliance by any user on the materials contained on this website.

Skip to main content. Bones muscles and joints. Home Bones muscles and joints. Actions for this page Listen Print. Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page. A range of causes Some of the contributing factors and causes of rickets include: Not enough exposure of the skin to sunlight Skin colour — the skin pigment in children with naturally dark skin tends to absorb less sunlight than fair skin Lack of vitamin D or calcium in the diet Exclusive breastfeeding without vitamin D supplements of infants whose mothers have vitamin D deficiency Disorders of the intestine, liver or kidneys that prevent the body from absorbing vitamin D or converting it into its active form Disorders that reduce digestion or absorption of fats, as vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin.

The role of vitamin D Our body needs vitamin D to help it absorb calcium and phosphorus. High-risk groups Children who may be at increased risk of rickets due to vitamin D deficiency include children who: Are born to women with a vitamin D deficiency Cover most of their body for religious or cultural reasons Are sick, disabled or unable to spend time outdoors for other reasons Never go outside without sunscreen Have naturally very dark skin Have some medical conditions such as certain bowel diseases Are on vegetarian, dairy-free or lactose-free diets.

Diagnosis Rickets may be diagnosed using a number of tests including: Physical examination Blood tests Long bone x-rays Bone scans. Long-term outlook Bones that are poorly mineralised respond very quickly to dietary supplementation with calcium and vitamin D. Prevention You can help protect your child from the effects of rickets by understanding their risk factors for vitamin D deficiency and taking steps to prevent it.

Suggestions include: Sunlight — a sensible balance of sun exposure and sun protection can protect against vitamin D deficiency without putting your child at risk of skin cancer. The recommended amount of sunlight each day is a few minutes of sunlight exposure before 10am and after 3pm each day from September to April and two to three hours of sunlight exposure over the week from May to August.

Foods naturally containing vitamin D include oily fish especially sardines, salmon, herring and mackerel , liver and egg yolks. Be SunSmart UV radiation levels vary depending on location, time of year, time of day, cloud coverage and the environment. Rickets is caused by a lack of vitamin D, calcium or phosphorus. Vitamin D deficiency can occur as a result of having dark skin, lack of exposure of the skin to sunlight, nutritional deficiencies and disorders of the liver, kidney or small intestine.

Treatment options include improved sunlight exposure, diet, vitamin D and mineral supplements. Prevention and treatment of infant and childhood vitamin D deficiency in Australia and New Zealand: A consensus statement [online], Medical Journal of Australia, vol.

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