From the Guidelines
The most common cause of rickets is vitamin D deficiency, as stated in the study by 1, which highlights the importance of vitamin D in bone mineralization and the severe complications that can arise from its deficiency. To prevent or treat rickets:
- Ensure adequate vitamin D intake through sunlight exposure and diet
- For infants: 400 IU of vitamin D daily
- For children and adults: 600-800 IU of vitamin D daily
- Vitamin D-fortified foods like milk, cereals, and orange juice can help
- Fatty fish, egg yolks, and liver are good dietary sources Vitamin D is crucial for calcium absorption and bone mineralization, as noted in the study by 1. Without sufficient vitamin D, bones can become soft and deformed, leading to rickets in children. Sunlight exposure helps the body produce vitamin D naturally, but factors like limited sun exposure, dark skin pigmentation, and exclusive breastfeeding without supplementation can increase the risk of deficiency, as discussed in the study by 1. In severe cases, prescription-strength vitamin D supplements may be needed under medical supervision. It's worth noting that while vitamin D deficiency is the most common cause of rickets, other conditions like X-linked hypophosphataemia (XLH) can also lead to rickets, as mentioned in the study by 1. However, vitamin D deficiency remains the primary cause of rickets, and addressing this deficiency is essential for preventing and treating the disease, as emphasized in the study by 1.
From the Research
Causes of Rickets
- The most common cause of rickets is vitamin D deficiency 2, 3, 4, 5
- Vitamin D deficiency can be attributed to various causes, including diet, atmospheric pollution, religious practices that restrict sunlight exposure, geographic latitude and altitude, season, and time of day 4
- Other causes of rickets include calcium deficiency, phosphate deficiency, and renal disorders that interfere with mineralization 3, 6
Forms of Rickets
- Nutritional rickets is caused by a deficiency of vitamin D, dietary calcium, or phosphate 2, 6, 4
- Hereditary forms of rickets can result from mutations in genes responsible for vitamin D metabolism or function, the production or breakdown of fibroblast growth factor 23, renal phosphate regulation, or bone mineralization 6
Prevention and Treatment
- Prevention of nutritional rickets can be achieved by ensuring adequate vitamin D intake, either through fortified foods, supplements, or sunlight exposure 2, 4
- Treatment of nutritional rickets typically involves vitamin D and/or calcium supplementation 5
- The effectiveness of vitamin D, calcium, or a combination of both for the treatment of nutritional rickets in children has been compared in several studies, with low-certainty evidence suggesting that vitamin D plus calcium or calcium alone may improve healing compared to vitamin D alone 5