Rickets is the softening and weakening of bones in children, usually because of an extreme and prolonged vitamin D deficiency.
Vitamin D promotes the absorption of calcium and phosphorus from the gastrointestinal tract. A deficiency of vitamin D makes it difficult to maintain proper calcium and phosphorus levels in bones, which can cause rickets.
Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of rickets can include:
- Delayed growth
- Pain in the spine, pelvis and legs
- Muscle weakness
Because rickets softens the growth plates at the ends of a child's bones, it can cause skeletal deformities such as:
- Bowed legs or knock knees
- Thickened wrists and ankles
- Breastbone projection
This is why somalis need to take their vitamins