Rickets

Overview

Rickets is a condition that impacts the development of bones in children. Adults can experience a similar condition, which is known as osteomalacia or soft bones. Doctors can perform various blood tests to check levels of essential vitamins in the body and X-rays to make sure of the condition and assess the bone structure. It is also considered extremely essential for parents to assess these symptoms and check with the doctor for effective treatment and to prevent complications in the long run.

What is Rickets?

Rickets is a childhood disorder where bones weaken and soften and become prone to fracture and deformities usually because of an extreme and prolonged vitamin-D deficiency. Vitamin D helps in the formation of bones and teeth. When the body can’t meet an absolute amount of this nutrient it produces a hormone that causes calcium and phosphate to release from the bones, making them weak.

Types
An individual must know what type of rickets he/ she falls under. There are various types of rickets, but the most common type is nutritional rickets, and studies suggest many people have nutritional rickets. While it can become a part of your health at any stage but knowing what type of rickets has caught you up is essential. Types of rickets include,

Nutritional rickets: The most common type of rickets is caused by a deficiency of vitamin D, which is considered extremely essential for the absorption of calcium and phosphate. Lack of exposure to sunlight can contribute to this form of rickets.

Hereditary rickets: This type of rickets is associated with rare genetic disorders that can affect the ability to convert vitamin D to respond properly.

Renal rickets: Chronic kidney disease can lead to various complications and abnormalities in calcium and phosphate levels resulting in a form of rickets which is popularly known as renal rickets.

The determination of the types is necessary for doctors to prescribe suitable medication to the individuals. The customization of the treatments is the right approach and the identification of triggers will be the best information for the individuals so that they can stay away from irritants to prevent any complications in the treatment. The severity of rickets must be kept under immediate consideration to provide effective treatment for the betterment of an individual.

Symptoms of Rickets

Symptoms of this disease can be detected at the early stages. Here are some common symptoms and signs of rickets.

• Difficulty walking and running
• Delayed growth
• Teeth deformities
• Bones weakness and fractures
• Large abdomen
• Skeletal deformities
• Severe pain in the legs, spine and pelvis
• Thickened wrists and ankles
• Breastbone projection
• Bowed legs or knock knees

Since the symptoms vary from person to person on the basis of severity, many people can start noticing these signs at the earliest stages of disease while others may not.

Causes of Rickets

The primary cause which contributes to the development of Rickets includes Vitamin D. The development is influenced by various other factors and genetics also play a major role in the scenario. Key causes include:

Vitamin-D deficiency: Since vitamin D is essential for the abstraction of calcium and phosphate from the intestines, insufficient exposure to sunlight can lead to deficiency.

Lack of sunlight exposure: Sunlight exposure is the main aspect for the body, spending too much time indoors, and living in regions with minimal sunlight can lead to rickets.

Genetic factors: Some genetic factors can affect the metabolism of the body which in turn leads to the higher risk of rickets.

Lifestyle: Change in dietary practices, by including foods which are rich in vitamin D can reduce the risks of acquiring rickets.

These factors are the bridging gap that can stop the influence of this chronic disease rickets from interfering with our day-to-day tasks. Early intervention and detection would help in curing this aggressively progressing disease at the early stage.

Tests and diagnosis for Rickets

To understand what your body is trying to tell you, doctors will run certain tests to diagnose what the actual problem is. Your current symptoms will make an easy way for doctors to identify the problem. The following are the possible outcomes to diagnose rickets:

Physical examination: The doctor will perform a physical examination of the child by checking the skull if the skull is soft enough. The soft spots of the skull may close late.

• The doctor will check the chest area to see the abnormalities developed in the chest area. These abnormalities may include flattening of the rib cage and projection of the bones in the breast.
• Doctors will check legs as the toddlers may have bowed legs sometimes. If parents suspect bowed legs, this indicates a prime sign of rickets.
• Wrists and ankles are checked if they are thicker and wider than normal.

X-ray scans: X-ray scans may help in checking bone deformities. Some doctors might recommend urine and blood tests to confirm rickers and to monitor treatment.

It’s important to focus that early detection is essential for the immediate treatment of rickets. Rickets have great chances of healing when detected early and survival rates of rickets are stable. While you can never eliminate the risk of acquiring rickets it can be treated and can be kept under control.

Risk Factors

There are many risk factors which can influence the development of rickets. Risk factors include:

Mother’s vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy: A mother with vitamin D deficiency can be born with the signs of rickets or might develop this chronic disease after a few months of birth.

Dark skin: Dark coloured skin has an increased amount of pigmented melanin which reduces the skin’s ability to produce vitamin D taken from sunlight.

Premature birth: Babies born before the expected due dates have lower levels of vitamin D since they have less time in the mother’s womb, they can’t receive the vitamin and are likely to catch rickets.

Medications: Several medicines can use the body’s vitamin D, so those medications must be avoided to maintain the vitamin level in the body.

Geographical factors: Children living in sun-deprived locations are vulnerable to developing rickets.

It’s essential to be aware of these risk factors to take timely preventive measures such as having regular checkups and keeping up with sun exposure.

Treatment for Rickets

The treatment of rickets ultimately starts by fulfilling the missing vitamin in an individual. Doctors can recommend certain medications for dealing with and managing rickets like:

• Vitamin-D medicine: The most common cause of rickets is vitamin D deficiency. The dosage of the medicine is dependent on the severity of the deficiency and the age of an individual.
• Calcium and phosphate enriched medicine: For the development of healthy and strong bones, doctors may recommend additional supplements like calcium and phosphate and the dosage depends on the severity of the condition.

Note: Doctors also encourage frequent sun exposure to the rickets-infected individuals as the sun is the best alternative to receive an essential nutrient, vitamin D.

Rickets’s treatment is considered to start with the medicine but its alternatives involve sun therapy and dietary changes. These treatment options include the optimum stage of an individual affected with rickets. Regular check-ups are essential to track the signs of recurrence if there are any and it’s essential for an individual to take a safe path of immediate intervention to prevent potential side-effects and the risk of rickets.

Prevention of Rickets

The risk of getting affected by rickets is higher due to the deficiency in vitamin D and if you have a family medical history but preventive measures are always recommended to save an individual from early influence and interference of rickets in their life. They include,

• Sun exposure
• Medicines that abstract nutrients from the body
• Regular check-ups
• Safe outdoor activities
• Food rich in vitamin D, salmon, tuna, fish oil and egg yolks.

These possible preventive measures can help in reducing the impact of these chronic disease rickets. Early intervention and detection are preferable for a successful treatment.