Prevention of Rickets & Vitamin D Deficiency

Vitamin D deficiency in children is long suspected of being the cause of rickets. Symptoms of rickets, which is the softening of bones, include bone pain, tooth weakness and defects, and spinal and pelvic deformities. Preventing rickets in your child means paying attention to risk factors and may include adjusting lifestyle and diet.

Recognizing the Causes

• Doctors believe that rickets are caused by a lack of Vitamin D. The National Osteoporosis Foundation states that the risk of osteomalacia, the technical term for rickets, may not just pose a threat when a child is young; children who have had rickets show a greater incidence of broken bones later in life.

  The three main sources of Vitamin D are sunlight, food, and dietary supplements. Associated Press reported in 2001 that rickets, which was a common disease prior to the 1930s, was making a comeback in the United States; this seems to be due a combination of a lack of sunlight and reduced Vitamin D in the diets of a generation of children.

  You should consider your child at additional risk for rickets if he or she has had kidney problems, since kidney disorders can exacerbate bone loss, says the National Osteoporosis Foundation. In addition, having dark skin, which causes the body to produce less Vitamin D from sunlight, and being obese, lactose intolerant, or having a family history of rickets may increase your child's risk profile. The University of Maryland Medical Center reports that although rickets are rare in newborn babies, children from 6 to 24 months are most likely to develop the disease.

Decreasing the Risks

• You can decrease your child's risk of rickets by increasing his or her intake of Vitamin D. Natural sunlight helps; however, the National Osteoporosis Foundation stresses that the risk of cancer from sunlight gives this option problems of its own.

  The University of Maryland Medical Center advises increasing Vitamin D through the diet. Foods that are naturally rich in Vitamin D include fish such as salmon and tuna as well as egg yolks. Vitamin D has been added to milk for years, as well as some orange juices and breakfast cereals. If your child won't eat these foods, a supplement may be necessary. Check the label on your child's vitamin to see if it includes the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin D. In addition, UMMC also suggests genetic counseling--comprehensive testing and prevention planning--for families with a history of rickets.

  Remember that too much Vitamin D has risks of its own, including the development of kidney stones. The NOF suggests that you calculate the approximate daily Vitamin D intake by excluding sunlight and adding food content amount to any supplements being taken. The American Pediatric Association recommends that children up to 13 years have a recommended daily allowance of 10 micrograms (400 International Units) of Vitamin D.