What department should I see for rickets?

Written by Li Jiao Yan
Neonatology
Updated on April 10, 2025
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Rickets is a nutritional disease caused by a deficiency of vitamin D, which leads to a disorder of calcium and phosphorus metabolism and consequently abnormal bone development. In the early and active stages of rickets, the main symptoms are low levels of vitamin D and disordered calcium and phosphorus metabolism. At this stage, bone development abnormalities may not be clearly noticeable, so it is recommended to consult an endocrinology department. During the residual stage, when skeletal deformities appear, rehabilitation treatment is necessary, and consultation with a pediatric rehabilitation department is advisable. Severe skeletal deformities may require surgical correction, necessitating consultation with an orthopedic department.

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Written by Li Jiao Yan
Neonatology
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How is rickets diagnosed?

Rickets is a chronic nutritional disease caused by a deficiency in vitamin D, which leads to a disruption in calcium and phosphorus metabolism, resulting in abnormal bone development. Typically, the initial symptoms of rickets are most commonly seen 2-3 months after birth. At this stage, affected children often show neurological symptoms such as excessive sweating unrelated to the season, irritability, particularly in infants under three months old who can become easily agitated, and exhibit straining as if constipated, but these are not specific symptoms of rickets. Early diagnosis generally requires specific tests such as blood biochemistry to check the levels of 125 dihydroxy vitamin D3, as well as calcium and phosphorus levels in the blood, and to see if there is any change in serum alkaline phosphatase. The active phase is mainly characterized by skeletal changes, such as early signs of enlarged fontanelles or delayed closure, late teething, and sometimes a softening of the skull resembling a ping-pong ball, gradually leading to a square skull. Subsequently, changes like pigeon chest or noticeable deformities in the lower limbs such as X-shaped legs, O-shaped legs, or K-shaped legs may appear. Sometimes, there may also be curvature of the spine, with occasional scoliosis. These obvious skeletal changes make the condition more recognizable, though the initial presentations are not very typical, necessitating related biochemical blood tests.

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What department should I go to for rickets?

Rickets, called nutritional vitamin D deficiency rickets, is a chronic systemic nutritional disease characterized by bone lesions, caused by a lack of vitamin D in children's bodies leading to disturbed calcium and phosphorus metabolism. Its typical manifestations are inadequate mineralization of the growing long bone shafts and bone tissue. In early-stage rickets, there are no obvious skeletal changes, primarily characterized by low levels of vitamin D and abnormal calcium and phosphorus metabolism, in which case consultation with a pediatric endocrinologist is advised. If evident skeletal deformities like pigeon chest, X-shaped legs, or O-shaped legs have already developed, corrective treatment is necessary, and an orthopedic consultation is required.

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Written by Li Jiao Yan
Neonatology
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Is rickets easy to treat?

Rickets is primarily a nutritional disease caused by insufficient levels of vitamin D leading to disturbances in calcium and phosphate metabolism, resulting in abnormal bone development. The most common type is nutritional vitamin D-deficiency rickets. This type of disease is self-limiting and thus relatively easy to treat. It requires early detection and proactive intervention. Early measures include encouraging children to engage in outdoor activities and supplementing with appropriate doses of vitamin D, which can effectively treat rickets. However, there are also special causes of vitamin D deficiency such as significant anomalies in liver or kidney function and certain genetic diseases that severely impair vitamin D absorption. When vitamin D treatment is ineffective, it may be due to other special causes. Treatment of rickets under these circumstances can be more challenging, and genetic diseases may respond poorly to treatment.

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Written by Li Jiao Yan
Neonatology
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How to diagnose rickets?

Rickets is caused by a deficiency of vitamin D, which leads to abnormal calcium and phosphorus metabolism, and thus abnormal bone development. Generally, rickets requires biochemical blood tests and vitamin D level assessments, followed by skeletal X-ray examinations. However, some cases of rickets are caused by other special reasons, such as abnormalities in liver and kidney functions, and there may also be congenital genetic diseases. Therefore, rickets also requires further related examinations, such as liver function tests, kidney function tests, and parathyroid hormone tests, and even some genetic level examinations might be conducted.

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Written by Li Jiao Yan
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Can rickets be treated by injection?

Rickets is primarily caused by a deficiency of vitamin D, leading to a disturbance in calcium and phosphorus metabolism in the body, which results in abnormal bone development. It is a systemic nutritional and chronic disease. The main treatment is to supplement a sufficient dosage of vitamin D, generally administered orally. The choice of vitamin D formulation, dosage, duration of treatment, whether it is administered once or multiple times, and whether supplementation is oral or intramuscular, should be determined based on the specific situation of the child. Relevant tests are generally required, and the doctor will develop a treatment plan based on the child's condition. The route of administration should also be decided based on the condition of the disease.