Treatment of Rickets

Written by Yao Li Qin
Pediatrics
Updated on April 11, 2025
00:00
00:00

Rickets is a nutritional metabolic disease caused by a lack of vitamin D, which also involves changes in the bones. Once rickets is definitively diagnosed, it is essential to start aggressive treatment. Treatment should be carried out under the guidance of a hospital doctor with high doses of vitamin D, while also appropriately supplementing the child with calcium. It's necessary to regularly draw blood to test for vitamin D levels and to monitor the improvement of various indicators in the child. When vitamin D levels have fully normalized, there will no longer be a need to administer high doses of vitamin D to the child, and the dosage can be adjusted to the physiological requirement. Additionally, it is crucial to increase the child’s outdoor activities and exposure to sunlight, as this is very helpful for the treatment and recovery of rickets. (For specific medication use, please follow the guidance of a doctor and do not self-medicate.)

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Jiao Yan
Neonatology
59sec home-news-image

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.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Jiao Yan
Neonatology
48sec home-news-image

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.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zeng Hai Jiang
Pediatrics
34sec home-news-image

Is a square skull definitely rickets?

Square skull is not necessarily rickets; square skull can be seen in rickets and congenital syphilis, especially common in rickets. It is often seen in children with rickets older than 8-9 months, due to a lack of calcium in the bones which leads to inadequate bone deposition and calcification. Under the periosteum of the child's frontal bone, parietal bone, and occipital bone, a large amount of osteoid deposition forms the square skull. Therefore, while square skull is not necessarily indicative of rickets, it is a common manifestation in rickets.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Tong Peng
Pediatrics
59sec home-news-image

Can people with rickets swim?

Rickets is a metabolic disease caused by a deficiency in vitamin D, and its clinical manifestations primarily include symptoms in infants such as a square skull, night sweats, pigeon chest, eversion of the rib cage, as well as bowlegs or knock-knees. Severe cases can lead to skeletal deformities in the chest and developmental disorders. Therefore, for the treatment of children with rickets, it is necessary to intake vitamin D and calcium to promote bone development. Swimming is also a form of exercise that can enhance the absorption of calcium by the bones, which can help prevent the progression of rickets. It is also important to engage in outdoor activities and expose to sunlight, as vitamin D can be synthesized through sun exposure, effectively supplementing it. If a child's symptoms of rickets are relatively severe, it is advisable to take the child to a specialist hospital for a 25-hydroxy vitamin D test and supplement vitamin D based on the specific results.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Liu Li
Pediatrics
46sec home-news-image

Will rickets heal on its own if not treated?

Children with rickets only need timely supplementation of vitamin D or calcium, should be taken out to get more sunlight daily, and an increase in nutrition is sufficient; special treatment is not necessary. Furthermore, the main symptoms of rickets in children include night terrors, excessive sweating, and the balding of the pillow area. Rickets can also cause children to become irritable and cry frequently. In severe cases, it may lead to bone deformities. Parents can take their child to undergo a trace element test to identify the specific cause of the disease, and then promptly supplement the child with food or medicine to alleviate rickets.