Vitamin C Deficiency in Children

Vitamin C deficiency, although rare in more-developed countries today, is a painful and dangerous condition, especially for children. The medical name for this disease is scurvy, and it was once the bane of sailors on long sea voyages. In fact, it was a British naval surgeon who first described the cure. Fortunately, scurvy is very easy to both cure and prevent.

Symptoms

• Scurvy can be hard to diagnose, because the initial symptoms are common and non-specific. According to the Merck Manual on vitamin C, they include general fatigue, loss of appetite, rapid breathing, fever and diarrhea. As the disease progresses, it will bring about pain in the bones and joints as well as pseudoparalysis (a voluntary limitation on movement, usually because of pain) and hemorrhaging. Other symptoms include swollen gums, loosening of the teeth, anemia and dry skin.

  Author Dr. Bradley Buckler of the Medical College of Georgia tells us that scurvy can be noted in infants by extreme sensitivity in the thighs and a constant "frog leg posture" due to intense pain.

Prevention/Cure

• The prevention and cure of scurvy are one and the same. A consistent diet of fresh fruits and vegetables, along with other foods containing vitamin C, such as fresh milk, will reverse and prevent any effects of the disease. Damage is rarely permanent unless left completely untreated, where the disease will eventually lead to death. Although the National Institutes of Health recommends a balanced diet as the most effective way of obtaining vitamin C, vitamin C dietary supplements are available.

History of Scurvy in Children

• In his article on infantile scurvy, Buckler wrote that the first description of scurvy in children was noted by Francis Glisson in the mid-17th century. This was the only mention of infantile scurvy until the late 1800s, when cases became more frequent due to the changing diets of families. A study was conducted by Alfred Hess in 1914 at an orphan asylum in New York. By observation, he connected an increase in cases of infantile scurvy with the removal of orange juice from the children's diets along with the use of pasteurized milk.

  By using raw milk and fresh produce, he was able to cure the disease. The findings of this study and Hess' dietary recommendations have led to the eradication of infantile scurvy in the United States.

Scurvy Today

• Although rare in the United States and other more developed countries, there are certain situations that should be monitored for scurvy. Anyone with an eating disorder such as anorexia is at high risk for vitamin C deficiency. Also, patients on very limited diets due to food allergies or bad eating habits should be careful to obtain enough vitamin C. Alcoholics are at risk because they obtain so many of their calories from their drinks that they often neglect eating healthful food.

Vitamin C Daily Allowance for Children

• According to the Linus Pauling Institute, the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C for children are as follows:

  Infants, 0-6 months: 40mg (adequate intake)
  Infants, 7-12 months: 50mg (adequate intake)
  Children, 1-3: 15mg
  Children, 4-8: 25mg
  Children, 9-14: 45mg
  Adolescents, 15-18: 75mg