Can rickets be treated with vitamin D3?

Written by Tong Peng
Pediatrics
Updated on November 22, 2024
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Rickets can be treated with Vitamin D3; first, we need to understand the pathology of the disease. It is a metabolic, obstructive disease caused by a deficiency of Vitamin D. Often, this deficiency leads to impaired calcium absorption in the body, causing osteoporosis and bone deformity. Infants typically exhibit symptoms like square skulls, pigeon chests, outward flaring ribs, bow legs, and knock knees. Additionally, it affects the baby's sleep quality. The lack of Vitamin D can increase the baby's neural excitability, leading to poor sleep and easy waking. Moreover, severe cases can affect growth and development. Presence of these symptoms should be confirmed by laboratory testing of 25-hydroxy Vitamin D3 to determine specific levels and choose the appropriate dose of Vitamin D3 supplementation. It is also encouraged to promote children's physical activity and exposure to sunlight to enhance the body's synthesis of Vitamin D, which is beneficial for bone development. (Medication should be administered under the guidance of a professional doctor.)

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Written by Yao Li Qin
Pediatrics
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Treatment of Rickets

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.)

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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 Li Jiao Yan
Neonatology
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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 Tong Peng
Pediatrics
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Does rickets cause dry skin and an absence of sweating?

Rickets does not cause dry skin or an absence of sweat. Rickets is a disorder of calcium and phosphorus metabolism caused by a deficiency in vitamin D, and it may also be associated with bone deformities. In infants, it often presents with neurological symptoms such as being easily startled during sleep, increased night sweats, and a variety of symptoms including bald patches on the back of the head. However, an absence of sweating is often a symptom of sweat gland disorders and is not necessarily related to rickets. In some cases, babies sweat less because their sweat glands are underdeveloped, so if a child with rickets has symptoms of dry skin, they are not particularly prominent. If rickets is confirmed, it is crucial to actively supplement vitamin D, spend more time in the sun, and engage in outdoor exercise to facilitate the body's natural synthesis of vitamin D. Severe cases require oral or injected high doses of vitamin D to prevent the condition from worsening and causing bone deformities.

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Written by Li Jiao Yan
Neonatology
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Rickets is a disease characterized by the softening and weakening of bones in children, typically due to inadequate vitamin D.

Rickets is a disease, and its full name is Nutritional Vitamin D Deficiency Rickets. It is caused by a lack of vitamin D in children, leading to a disorder in calcium and phosphorus metabolism in the body. It is a chronic nutritional disease characterized by bone lesions. Its typical manifestation is incomplete mineralization of the growing long bone ends and bone tissue. The symptoms include abnormal development of the bones. Generally, without timely and effective intervention, it may lead to conditions such as pigeon chest, or S-shaped or O-shaped legs, which can seriously affect the child's life later on.