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Causes
By Mayo Clinic staffYour body needs vitamin D to absorb calcium and phosphorus from food. Rickets can occur if your child's body doesn't get enough vitamin D or if his or her body has problems using vitamin D properly.
Lack of vitamin D
You receive vitamin D from two sources:
- Sunlight. Your skin produces vitamin D when it's exposed to sunlight. But children in developed countries now tend to spend less time outdoors. They're also more likely to use sunscreen, which blocks the rays that trigger the skin's production of vitamin D.
- Food. Fish oils, fatty fish and egg yolks contain vitamin D. Vitamin D also has been added to some foods, such as milk, cereal and some fruit juices. Children who don't eat enough of these fortified foods can develop a vitamin D deficiency.
Problems with absorption
Some children are born with or develop medical conditions that affect the way their bodies absorb vitamin D. Some examples include:
- Celiac disease
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Cystic fibrosis
- Kidney problems
References
- Greenbaum LA. Rickets. In: Kleigman RM, et al. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/214433730-7/0/1608/132.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2450-7..50050-5--cesec3_919. Accessed Aug. 13, 2010.
- Rickets: What it is and how it's treated. American Academy of Family Physicians. http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/children/parents/special/bone/902.html. Accessed Aug. 13, 2010.
- Rauch F. Etiology and treatment of hypocalcemic rickets in children. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 13, 2010.
- Rauch F. Overview of rickets in children. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 16, 2010.
- Drezner MK. Osteomalacia and rickets. In: Goldman L, et al. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/214808326-3/0/1492/956.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2805-5..50270-6--cesec7_12061. Accessed Aug. 16, 2010.
- Dietary supplement fact sheet: Vitamin D. Office of Dietary Supplements. National Institutes of Health. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp. Accessed Aug. 16, 2010.
- Prevention of rickets and vitamin D deficiency in infants, children and adolescents. Rockville, Md.: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. http://www.guideline.gov/content.aspx?id=13540&search=vitamin+d. Accessed Aug. 17, 2010.
- Taylor JA, et al. Use of supplemental vitamin D among infants breastfed for prolonged periods. Pediatrics. 2010;125:105.
- Sunburn: Treatment and prevention. American Academy of Pediatrics. http://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-play/pages/Sunburn-Treatment-And-Prevention.aspx. Accessed Aug. 17, 2010.
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