Rickets

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Treatments and drugs

By Mayo Clinic staff

Most cases of rickets can be treated with vitamin D and calcium supplements. Follow your doctor's directions as to dosage, which may vary by the size of your child. Too much vitamin D can be dangerous.

Surgical and other procedures
For some cases of bowlegs or spinal deformities, your doctor may suggest special bracing to position your child's body appropriately as the bones grow. More severe skeletal deformities may require surgery.

References
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Rauch F. Etiology and treatment of hypocalcemic rickets in children. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 13, 2010.
  4. Rauch F. Overview of rickets in children. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 16, 2010.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. Taylor JA, et al. Use of supplemental vitamin D among infants breastfed for prolonged periods. Pediatrics. 2010;125:105.
  9. 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.
DS00813 Oct. 14, 2010

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