Rickets: Symptoms, Causes, Prevention, and Treatment

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering the definition, symptoms, nutritional causes, dietary prevention guidelines, and therapeutic management of rickets.

Rickets

The softening and weakening of bones in children, usually caused by a deficiency in vitamin D.

Symptoms of Rickets

Clinical manifestations that include delayed growth, pain in the spine, pelvis, and legs, muscle weakness, bowed legs or knock knees, swollen wrists or ankles, and breastbone projection.

Causes of Rickets

A nutritional deficiency or lack of vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus in a child's diet.

Preventative Measures for Rickets

Consuming a diet high in calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D, and spending sufficient time exposed to sunlight.

Recommended Dietary Sources for Rickets Management

Specific nutrient-rich foods including salmon, tuna, fish oil, and egg yolks.

Treatment and Management Regimens for Rickets

Therapy administered gradually over several months or delivered as a single-day high dose using vitamin D and calcium supplements.

Single-Day Treatment Dose for Rickets

A single-day dose of $15{,}000\,\text{mcg}$ ($600{,}000\,\text{U}$) of vitamin D.

Dietary Calcium Intake to Prevent Rickets (<6 Months)

$200\,\text{mg/day}$ of calcium.

Dietary Calcium Intake to Prevent Rickets (6–12 Months)

$260\,\text{mg/day}$ of calcium.

Sufficient Dietary Calcium Intake (>12 Months)

An intake greater than $500\,\text{mg/day}$ of calcium.

Insufficient Dietary Calcium Intake (>12 Months)

An intake ranging from $300\,\text{mg/day}$ to $500\,\text{mg/day}$ of calcium.

Deficient Dietary Calcium Level (>12 Months)

An intake of less than $300\,\text{mg/day}$ of calcium, which increases the risk of rickets independent of serum 25OHD levels.