How Rickets Develops in Infants

If the baby is lacking the mineral of Vitamin D, then his bones will not grow properly. This deficiency mostly presents itself in children or infants. The causes of this sickness is due to lack of Vitamin D. This vitamin will be received if children have adequate sunlight exposure or right amount intake of Vitamin D. The sunlight is important in the formation of the Vitamin D - needed in the formation of the bone in human.

The rickets will also develop if phosphorus and calcium is lacking or inadequate in the child's diet. Weak bones and muscles are the symptoms of mild rickets. If not medicated earlier, the bones become distorted or deformed and have fractures. Thickening of the wrists and ankles are other early evidences of rickets. Bones of the spine, pelvis, and long bones of the legs can be distorted. Bow legs can be the result of rickets.

It generally occurs in infants six to eighteen months of age. The earliest symptoms consist of restlessness irritability and sweating of the head. The junction of bone and cartilage at the front of the ribs on either side of the breastbone, enlarge forming two rows of hard nodules because the skull bones are soft, the head takes on a square shape. Other symptoms include bowlegs or knock- knees, a protruding abdomen and constipation. X - rays will reveal poor development near the ends of the bones. The pelvis may become deformed, a special problem for girls who when mature may have difficulty at childbirth.

Rickets is demineralization of the child bone. It is caused due to a lack of calcium and phosphorus, the chief minerals elements in bone structure. It was poorly absorbed from the intestine because of the deficiency of vitamin D. synthesized in the skin when exposed to sunlight and is essential for the absorption of calcium and phosphorus. The cause of this disorder includes shortage of vitamin D, a diet lacking calcium and phosphorus kidney failure in which phosphorus is lost.