Can people with rickets swim?

Written by Tong Peng
Pediatrics
Updated on March 31, 2025
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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.

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Written by Li Jiao Yan
Neonatology
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Nursing Measures for Children with Rickets

Rickets requires relevant home care. During the active phase of rickets, it is best to avoid early sitting, standing, and walking. For chest deformities, prone neck lifting and chest expansion exercises can be performed. For lower limb deformities, muscle massage can be done. For bow legs, massage the outer leg muscles and perform abductive and external rotation exercises after massaging both knee joints. For knock knees, massage the inner muscle group and perform internal rotation exercises after massaging both ankle joints. For posterior protrusion of the lumbar spine, massage the lumbosacral area and frequently lie prone to increase muscle tone, assisting in the recovery of deformities. For mild to moderate bow legs, it may be appropriate to slightly elevate the outside of the shoe by about 0.5 cm. For mild to moderate knock knees, it may be appropriate to slightly elevate the inside of the shoe by about 0.5 cm. Observe for one to three months and adjust the padding height as necessary, which generally can correct the condition. Additionally, children should be exposed to more outdoor sunlight and have a rich nutritional intake, including nutrient-rich proteins and dairy products to aid in recovery from the disease.

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Written by Zeng Hai Jiang
Pediatrics
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The difference between rickets and dwarfism.

Rickets is caused by a deficiency of vitamin D in infants and young children, leading to disturbances in calcium and phosphorus metabolism and resulting in skeletal abnormalities as a characteristic of this chronic nutritional disease. Typical symptoms can include changes in the bones, especially in the fastest growing parts of the skeleton, and can affect muscle development and changes in neural excitability. Symptoms such as a "ping pong ball" head, square skull, pigeon chest, funnel chest, and eversion of the rib margins are also observed. Diagnosis is made through examinations such as vitamin D levels and skeletal X-rays. Dwarfism, on the other hand, is a growth disorder caused by a deficiency of growth hormone from the anterior pituitary gland before puberty. Its clinical manifestations are primarily growth disturbances, characterized by a short, proportionate stature. Adults with this condition often retain a child-like appearance, and their bone development is delayed with bone age younger than their chronological age. Intellect corresponds to their age, and sexual development may also be disrupted.

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Written by Quan Xiang Mei
Pediatrics
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What should I do about the skull protrusion caused by rickets?

When children suffer from rickets with noticeable cranial protrusions and abnormal skeletal changes, it is crucial to timely supplement based on the specific needs of the child for trace elements like calcium, as well as vitamin D. Supplementation of vitamin D and trace elements such as calcium, combined with daily activities like sun exposure, are advisable. Additionally, integrating diet changes by consuming foods rich in calcium supports calcium and vitamin D absorption. Consequently, the cranial protrusions can gradually alleviate or disappear. As supplementation continues and the child ages, the shape of the skull may also change accordingly. In daily life, it is important to prevent skeletal abnormalities in children due to calcium and vitamin D deficiencies by making timely adjustments. (Note: The use of medications should be under the guidance of a professional doctor.)

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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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Rickets symptoms

Rickets, also known as nutritional vitamin D deficiency rickets, is a chronic nutritional disease in children caused by inadequate vitamin D in their bodies, leading to disorders in calcium and phosphorus metabolism and characterized by changes in the growth plates. Its manifestation varies with different ages. In infants under six months, especially those under three months, symptoms often include increased nervous excitability, such as being easily irritable, restless, sweating, and shaking their heads due to scalp irritation. As the condition progresses in children under six months, the primary changes are seen in the skull; the edges of the anterior fontanelle are softer, and the skull is thinner. After six months, the softening of the skull disappears, but there can be ping-pong ball-like changes around the skull, leading to a box-shaped head from seven to eight months. Gradually, beading changes form, most notably around the 7th to 10th ribs. Around the age of one, children can develop a pigeon chest deformity, and in severe cases of rickets, a horizontal depression forms at the lower edge of the thoracic cage, known as the costal groove or Harrison's groove. Due to bone softening and muscle and joint laxity, when the child begins to stand and walk, the legs may become bow-legged or X-shaped, and in severe cases, can develop into 'K'-shaped leg deformities. Once the child starts to sit and stand, general ligament laxity can cause spinal deformities. Severe hypophosphatemia leads to muscle carbohydrate metabolism disorder, resulting in overall muscle laxity, decreased muscle tone, and subsequently reduced muscle strength.