Rickets is a childhood disorder where a vitamin D deficiency causes the softening and weakening of bones. Vitamin D allows the bones to absorb calcium and phosphorus from the gastrointestinal tract so when there is deficiency a child may experience delayed growth, muscle weakness or pain in the spine, pelvis and legs. Skeletal deformities can result from rickets which can cause bowed legs or knocked knees, thickened wrists and ankles or breastbone projection. (1)
The Office of Rare Diseases (ORD) lists rickets as a rare disease with less than 200,000 people in the United States being affected. (2) However, it is a major health problem in other countries in the world. (3) There are ways to treat and prevent rickets before it gets to a point
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The first is sunlight. Your skin produces vitamin D when exposed to the sun. The second is food. Certain foods like fish oils and egg yolk contain vitamin D. There are also some foods where vitamin D is added such as fruit juices and milk. (1) There are, however, many factors that can put a child at risk for developing rickets. (4)
Since rickets is most common in children, age is risk factor. A child has rapid growth between the ages of 6 and 36 months so their bones need vitamin D the most to help with development. Rickets can appear in adults as well but this is rare. Diet is another factor. Breast milk alone doesn’t provide enough vitamin D to prevent rickets in infants so there has to be compensation somewhere. It makes it more difficult if a child has an allergy to milk or has issues with digestion.
Children in certain areas of the world are at higher risk because of their geographic location and skin color. Since our bodies produce more vitamin D when exposed to sunlight, children in parts of the world where there is limited sunlight may have issues. Someone of African, Pacific Islander, and Middle Eastern decent are at a high risk because darker complexions do not react as strongly to sunlight as lighter complexions which results in decreased production of vitamin
Anthropologists and geographers have studied and overtime come to the conclusion that distribution of skin color is not random. Darker skin color has been found to typically come from near the equator and lighter skin colors are typically coming from closer to the north and south poles. Over the years, researchers have found that darker skin colors has protected the skin from having skin cancer. Recent studies have shown that “skin color is the product of natural selection acting to regulate the effects of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation on key nutrients crucial to the reproductive success” (169).
Her findings from this research was praised as she concluded that small supplementary feeding with fruits, milk and wheat germ improved the growth of school children. She also found out that the over dosage of Vitamin D produced brittle bones and calcification of soft tissues. If that wasn’t enough, she continued her extensive research and showed that pantothenic acid is essential for normal pigmentation of hair and skin. Lastly she was intelligent enough to prove that the bone density of woman decreased between 50 and 65 years of
Physiological Basis of disease: DMD is the commonest and most serious form of the dystrophies. The gene responsible for dystrophin which, when absent, causes DMD. Amount of dystrophin correlates with the severity of the disease (i.e., the less dystrophin present, the more severe the phenotype). Since the gene is on the X chromosome, it primarily affects males, and females who are carriers have milder symptoms ( www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000705.htm).
Marks, R., P.A. Foley, D. Jolley, K.R. Knight, and J. Harrison. 1995. The effect of regular sunscreen use on vitamin D levels in an Australian population: results of a randomized controlled trial. Archives of Dermatology 131: 415-421.
Arthritis mainly affects people who are 18 and older, but kids are still able to get certain types of arthritis such as: Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA)
Myotonic Dystrophy. Yale University School of Medicine. 1998. Department of Neurology. February 14, 2009. < http://www.med.yale.edu/neurol/programs/neuromuscular/myontonic_dystrophy.html>.
Muscular dystrophy is a complex disease that has been around for many years. Although it was discovered in the 1830s there is constant discoveries about the disorder. (“New knowledge about Muscular dystrophy,” 2014 May 5) There are several research studies being done around the world to help find a cure. Here’s to hoping that a cure will be found and no more lives will be taken by this debilitating disease (“Muscular Dystrophy: Hope through Research,” 16 April 2014)
Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), also known as brittle bone disease, is a rare genetic disorder with the main characteristic being that the bones break very easily, usually for no apparent reason. The major cause of osteogenesis imperfecta is a mutation in the genes that produce collagen. Collagen is the main protein that works toward the production of connective tissue. Individuals with this disorder will produce less collagen than needed, which causes the bone development to be endangered. This could result in bone deformities. There are four types of osteogenesis imperfecta, and in all four types you will see bone fragility with multiple fractures and bone deformities.
The syndrome is caused because of Genetic mutation that replaces connective tissues (muscles) with bones when someone gets injured instead of getting cured. This results in a new skeletal structure. Unfortunately this syndrome does not have any cure and the patients are advised to always be careful and not to fall or have any kind of traumas. They can’t engage in any sports in order to prevent any injuries. Surgery for removal of extra bones is not an option because removal of bones will lead to ingrowth of more bones. From previous cases it is seen that most of the patients suffering from this condition do not live more than 40 years and they die of respiratory
...a casein-free diet was 19.9ng⁄mL, for participants not on a casein-free diet it was 19.6ng⁄mL, and for controls it was 17ng⁄mL. There were no differences in the measurements of 25 (OH) D in all groups. About sixty-one percent, fifty-four children, had concentrations of less than 20ng⁄mL. This is the minimum concentration recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics to ensure good bone health. These children could be at risk for problems associated with vitamin D deficiency. This includes concerns with bone health and calcium and phosphorus metabolism. Children with autism spectrum disorder are limited to what activities they can do and usually are not exposed to much sunlight causing them to be at a greater risk. Understanding the needs and taking preventive measures for children with autism will help reduce the risk of health problems as they enter adulthood.
Other metabolic bone diseases are osteoporosis, gout, OSTEOARTHRITIS, and PAGET'S DISEASE. Nutritional Disorders Nutritional deficiencies that result in bone damage include RICKETS in children and osteomalacia in adults, caused by a lack of vitamin D. In children, calcium and phosphate are poorly distributed on bones during development, resulting especially in deformity of the legs and arms. In adults, bones of the spine, pelvis, and legs become demineralized and the bones weaken.
These include diseases such as rickets which is caused by a lack of vitamin D. A lack of calcium leads to poor growth in children. At this tender life stage this is a very negative thing because children are still at the peak of their physical development. The malnutrition could have caused stunting which is because the malnutrition hinders growth in their height and weight. Sometimes stunted growth can be permanent and a child may never be able to return to a normal height or weight.
The major environmental risk factor for melanoma is overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. People who have fair skin that burns or freckles easily need to be especially careful in the sun as protecting yourself against UV overexposure is an important way you can help reduce your risk of developing melanoma.
The body can manufacture only vitamin D; all others must be derived from the diet. Lack of them causes a wide range of metabolic and other dysfunctions. In the U.S., since 1940, the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Research Council has published recommended dietary allowances (RDA) for vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.
My average intake is 66 mg. it is lower than the required Vitamin C intake. Deficiency in Vitamin C can develop scurvy, if vitamin C is missing on our diet. Oranges, lemon and other citrus fruits, bell pepper, kiwi broccoli, berries, tomatoes and papayas are rich in Vitamin C . Lack of Vitamin D on diet can develop rickets to small children. The required intake for this vitamins is 15microgram and my report is zero. Vitamin D can be achieved from exposure of skin to ultra violet rays of the sun. Vitamin E is responsible for transmission of nerve impulses, body weakness and eye problem that can cause blindness. My nutrient intake for Vitamin 10 mg AT and the require intake is 15 mg AT, which is 5 mg lower than the require amount. Food related to Vitamin E are green leafy vegies such as spinach, kale are rich in Vitamin E, in addition, broccoli, hazel nuts, squash and pumpkin are also rich in Vitamin E. My vitamin K intake is 3 microgram, way too low compared to the requirement which is 90 microgram. Vitamin K deficiency can cause hemorrhagic disease of new born. Food that gives Vitamin K are green leafy vegetables such as kale and spinach, canola oils, olive oils, and