How is rickets diagnosed?
Rickets is a chronic nutritional disease characterized by skeletal changes, resulting from insufficient Vitamin D in children, which leads to disruptions in calcium and phosphorus metabolism. Diagnosis of rickets requires a measure of Vitamin D levels, clinical manifestations, certain biochemical markers in blood, and skeletal X-ray findings. Typically, Vitamin D levels are significantly lower than usual, with the level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 being the most reliable diagnostic standard. However, many facilities are unable to perform this test, so some instead rely on blood biochemistry and skeletal X-rays. Currently, blood biochemistry and skeletal X-ray examinations are considered the gold standard for diagnosis.