What are the early symptoms of rickets?

Written by Tong Peng
Pediatrics
Updated on December 15, 2024
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The early symptoms of rickets are mainly due to the inadequate intake of vitamin D in children, leading to disturbances in the body's calcium and phosphorus metabolism. Early signs usually appear around three months of age in infants, characterized by changes in mental state, restless sleep, frequent crying, and excessive sweating. Increased sweating is often accompanied by cradle cap, where circular bald patches appear on the back of the head. In such cases, it is important to include vitamin D-rich foods in the diet and supplement with vitamin D. Continued breastfeeding, engaging in outdoor activities, and exposure to sunlight are recommended to promote the body’s own synthesis of vitamin D. Regular physical examinations are also advised, and if symptoms of rickets occur, an appropriate increase in vitamin D intake may be necessary.

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Written by Li Jiao Yan
Neonatology
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Can rickets be cured?

Can rickets be cured? Rickets, also known as nutritional vitamin D deficiency rickets, is primarily caused by insufficient levels of vitamin D in the body leading to disorders in calcium and phosphorus metabolism. It is a chronic nutritional disease characterized by skeletal lesions. Typically, it manifests as flawed mineralization of long bones and bone tissue at the growth plates. Vitamin D deficiency rickets is a self-limiting disease that can generally be cured if children have sufficient outdoor activities and adequate exposure to sunlight. Adequate sunlight exposure and physiological doses of vitamin D can treat rickets. Therefore, it is usually recommended that children supplement with 400 units of vitamin D starting about two weeks after birth to prevent and treat rickets. However, if the child is in a later stage and shows obvious skeletal deformities, corrective treatment may be necessary. In severe cases of rickets where intracranial lesions occur, it might affect the child's vital signs and, in serious cases, could even lead to the child's death. Therefore, it is advised that children get plenty of sunlight, routinely supplement with vitamin D, and have regular pediatric check-ups to assess their condition.

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Written by Li Jiao Yan
Neonatology
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What foods are good for rickets?

Rickets is a global chronic nutritional disease caused by a deficiency of vitamin D, leading to disorders in calcium and phosphorus metabolism and abnormal bone development. The main issue stems from the lack of vitamin D, which causes abnormalities in the body's calcium levels, thus it's important to ensure dietary intake of vitamin D. For early infancy, it is generally recommended to strengthen feeding practices. Infants under six months should be exclusively breastfed until six months of age, followed by timely introduction of complementary foods. Cod liver oil, which is rich in vitamin D, should be routinely supplemented starting from the second week after birth, along with regular monitoring of growth and development. As complementary foods are introduced, try to include vitamin-rich vegetables and appropriately supplement with calcium-rich foods, such as certain seafood, while being mindful of potential allergies in children. Additionally, it is beneficial to include some high-protein, nutritious foods. Most importantly, children should persist in outdoor activities to get ample sunlight and continue supplementing with cod liver oil.

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Written by Tong Peng
Pediatrics
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How to determine if a baby has rickets

The diagnosis of rickets in infants should rely on the level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 in the blood and the examination of the long bones through X-rays imaging, rather than early symptoms. However, due to the young age of infants, it is recommended to supplement vitamin D within two weeks after birth. If the supplementation is not timely, some early clinical manifestations may appear occasionally, such as brachycephaly, bowed legs, and pigeon chest in infants. Additionally, there may be abnormalities in the nervous system, such as unstable sleep, easily startled and crying, and increased excitability. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the condition through the aforementioned tests and then proceed with symptomatic treatment.

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Written by Li Jiao Yan
Neonatology
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Can rickets be cured?

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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Can rickets be inherited by the next generation?

Rickets, called vitamin D-deficiency rickets, is caused by a lack of vitamin D which leads to abnormal calcium and phosphorus metabolism in the body. This prevents calcium salts from properly depositing in the growing parts of the skeleton, resulting in incomplete mineralization of bone tissue during growth. It produces a systemic, chronic nutritional disease characterized by skeletal lesions and closely related to lifestyle. The primary causes of rickets are due to a combination of factors leading to vitamin D deficiency. Feeding methods, cod liver oil supplementation, living environment, time spent outdoors, recurrent respiratory infections, maternal calcium deficiency during pregnancy, and the season of birth are all significant contributing factors to the incidence of rickets. Generally, most cases of rickets are not inherited to the next generation. However, if there is a clear hereditary disease causing insufficient levels of vitamin D, it could potentially be inherited by the next generation.