Can rickets be cured?

Written by Li Jiao Yan
Neonatology
Updated on January 04, 2025
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Rickets is a chronic nutritional disease caused by vitamin D deficiency that leads to disturbed calcium and phosphorus metabolism in the body, causing abnormal skeletal development. If a square skull is observed, it indicates that the child's disease has entered an active phase. Generally, in the early stages, there is an enlargement of the fontanelle or a delay in the closure of the fontanelle. By seven to eight months, a square skull can appear, primarily characterized by outward bulging centered on the frontal and parietal bones. At this time, it is generally necessary to administer a sufficient dose of vitamin D and encourage appropriate outdoor activities. Depending on the child's condition, it might be appropriate to supplement with calcium as well. Gradually, this should be curable; however, if there are other special causes for the abnormal vitamin D levels, such as severe liver or kidney disease or some new genetic diseases causing square skull, the treatment might be more challenging.

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Written by Li Jiao Yan
Neonatology
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Rickets is a disease characterized by the softening and weakening of bones in children, typically due to inadequate vitamin D.

Rickets is a disease, and its full name is Nutritional Vitamin D Deficiency Rickets. It is caused by a lack of vitamin D in children, leading to a disorder in calcium and phosphorus metabolism in the body. It is a chronic nutritional disease characterized by bone lesions. Its typical manifestation is incomplete mineralization of the growing long bone ends and bone tissue. The symptoms include abnormal development of the bones. Generally, without timely and effective intervention, it may lead to conditions such as pigeon chest, or S-shaped or O-shaped legs, which can seriously affect the child's life later on.

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Written by Yao Li Qin
Pediatrics
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Clinical manifestations of rickets

Rickets, also known as vitamin D deficiency rickets, occurs because children do not supplement vitamin D in a timely manner after birth, leading to a deficiency of vitamin D in the body and resulting in a nutritional metabolic disease primarily involving skeletal changes. In the early stages, children mainly show symptoms related to mental and emotional state, such as irritability, crying, excessive sweating, shaking their heads back and forth, and rubbing their heads. Subsequently, symptoms like bald patches on the back of the head and softening of the skull bones may appear. As children grow, they may develop conditions such as a square-shaped skull, beaded ribs, pigeon chest, funnel chest, and bracelet-like deformities around the wrists and ankles. In severe cases, children may later develop X-shaped legs and O-shaped legs. If rickets is suspected, it is crucial to promptly conduct a blood test to measure the vitamin D level. If the level is below normal, it is essential to actively treat the diagnosed rickets.

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Written by Li Jiao Yan
Neonatology
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Can rickets be cured?

The rickets we commonly talk about is nutritional Vitamin D deficiency rickets, which is due to a deficiency of Vitamin D in the body leading to a disorder of calcium and phosphorus metabolism. This results in a systemic nutritional disease characterized by skeletal lesions. If rickets is caused by insufficient intake, it can be self-healing and is a self-limiting disease. Once infants and young children spend enough time outdoors and receive physiological doses of Vitamin D treatment, rickets can be treated. However, treatment becomes significantly challenging in cases of congenital developmental abnormalities causing skeletal lesions, or any genetic diseases that lead to Vitamin D absorption disorders. Such cases often result in severe complications, including prominent kidney dysfunction leading to further disturbances in calcium and phosphorus metabolism, as well as liver function abnormalities causing Vitamin D synthesis disorders. Therefore, it is important to understand the specific causes of Vitamin D deficiency in children, and if the deficiency is due to common reasons that can be promptly controlled, then supplementation with Vitamin D and trace elements like calcium can effectively treat the condition.

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Written by Li Jiao Yan
Neonatology
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What are the symptoms of rickets?

The condition generally referred to as rickets is most commonly nutritional vitamin D deficiency rickets, a type of nutritional disease that is prevalent among infants and young children, particularly very young babies. It primarily manifests as changes in the bones where growth is most rapid and can also affect muscle development and changes in nervous excitability. Initially, especially within the first three months, symptoms in very young infants typically include increased nervous excitability, such as crying easily, excessive head sweating, and as a result of the sweating, frequent head shaking, irritability, restlessness, and noticeable crying and restlessness at night. These symptoms at this stage are not necessarily indicative of typical rickets. As the condition progresses, changes in the skeleton gradually become apparent. In infants under six months with rickets, the changes are mainly in the skull, typically feeling like pressing on a ping-pong ball. After six months of age, the head shape becomes squared or box-like, and the head circumference is larger than normal. Later, the characteristic beading changes of rickets appear, with beaded protrusions above the ribs, followed by the formation of blunt, circular raised areas at the wrists and ankles, referred to as wrist and ankle bracelets. Around the age of one, infants may develop a deformity resembling pigeon chest. As the child begins to stand and walk, the weight bearing on the lower limbs may lead to deformities, such as bowlegs or knock-knees, and sometimes even K-shaped deformities of the legs, and some might develop spinal deformities.

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Written by Li Jiao Yan
Neonatology
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Can rickets be treated?

Rickets is a disorder caused by a deficiency of vitamin D, leading to impaired calcium and phosphorus absorption, which then results in abnormal skeletal development. It is a chronic nutritional disease. Generally, the rickets commonly mentioned is due to nutritional vitamin D deficiency, which is treatable. Typically, encouraging children to engage in appropriate physical activities while supplementing with an adequate level of vitamin D can effectively control the disease, and it can even be cured. However, if there are special circumstances, such as significant liver abnormalities, renal function abnormalities, renal failure, or abnormalities in the thyroid or parathyroid glands, including parathyroid tumors, or congenital hereditary diseases, the treatment needs to be based on the cause in order to effectively control the disease and promote normal calcium and phosphorus metabolism in the body. Congenital hereditary diseases generally make treatment more challenging. Therefore, it is crucial for children with rickets to seek timely medical examination at a hospital. If it is a common case of nutritional vitamin D deficiency, parents should supplement vitamin D promptly according to the doctor's advice for treatment.