Rickets

Sadie Miller

Rickets is the
softening and
weakening of
children’s bones
that usually is
caused by a lack of
vitamin D.

Risk factors:
Children who do
not get enough
Who is a risk? sunlight
Children with
Any child is at risk darker skin
for rickets, however Newborns and
a few factors infants, especially
those who are
increase the
breastfeeding
possibility.
 Symptoms of
Rickets

Bowed legs
Widened knees or wrists
Bone pain
Swelling at the ends of
ribs
Pigeon chest (when
breastbone pushes
upwards)
Growth delay
The unusual curved
shape of the spine or skull
Teeth problems (such as
cavities)
Seizures in extremely
severe cases
 Prevention

Ways to prevent Rickets:

Infants and pregnant
women can take a
vitamin D supplement
Older children: spend
more time in the
sunlight
Eat more vitamin D-
rich foods

Vitamin D-rich foods

Several varieties of
fish (sockeye
salmon and
rainbow trout)
Milk
Orange juice
Cereal
 Treatment

Diet changes
Adding significantly
more vitamin D to the
child’s diet or taking a
vitamin D supplement
Sunlight
Have the child be
exposed to more
sunlight so the body can
naturally make vitamin
D
Surgery
In severe cases where
the child’s bones cannot
heal themselves, they
will have surgery

Sources
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/he
alth/diseases/22459-rickets