Children are fragile and so are their bones. Prolonged deficiency of Vitamin D in the body of children can cause them to suffer from Rickets. Vitamin D is very essential in providing strength to our bones as it helps our body to absorb Calcium from gastrointestinal tract. Lack of Vitamin D can cause softening of bones and in the severe cases, skeletal deformities can incur in a child. Regular visits to the best child specialists in Karachi, Lahore or other main cities of Pakistan may help spot this problem at an earlier stage.
In order to make sure that your child doesn’t have to suffer from this Vitamin D rich diet should be given to him/her such as Milk, Eggs, and Fish etc. However, one of the natural ways of getting a Vitamin D is to expose your child to the sunlight especially during golden hours i.e. Just before and after sunrise and sunset.
Who is Prone to get Rickets?
Genetics: In some people rickets is hereditary; the disease is transferred to them through genes that prevent their kidneys from absorbing calcium.
Age factor: Children are more likely to get this disease especially between 6 months to 3 years of age. If during this age a child doesn’t get enough calcium he/she has a chance to get this disease.
Insufficient Diet: If a child is not taking sufficient nutrients especially fish, eggs, and milk he/she can become vitamin D deficit. Even child who is only fed on breast milk can suffer from rickets as it lacks vitamin D.
Also Read: 5 Illness Linked To Vitamin D Deficiency
Geographic Condition: Places where winter stays longer or duration of sunlight is less, residents from that area are more likely to get Rickets.
Symptoms of Rickets:
In order to prevent children from this chronic disease, one needs to know its symptoms so that early diagnosis of it can be done:
- Pain in bones
- Tenderness in the bones of arms, legs or spine
- Cramps in muscles
- Bones get easily fractured
- The sensitivity of teeth-Regular visits to the best dentists in Karachi, Lahore or other main cities of Pakistan is recommended to fix dental health issues at an early stage.
- Weak enamel
- More cavity in the teeth
- Deformed shape of skull
- Curved spine
- Bent in knees and arms etc
Ricket should be detected as early as possible so that doctors can treat it. Doctors usually recommend a person to increase its exposure towards sunlight, take Vitamin D rich diet, add vitamin D supplement and in extreme case of Deformity in bones, doctors might recommend corrective surgery.