Florid and subclinical rickets among immigrant children in Glasgow.
200 Asian 300 African, Chinese, or Scottish children were examined for clinical, biochemical, and radiological evidence of vitamin-D deficiency. Among the Asians there were 10 with florid rickets and 15 with subclinical rickets. Among the African, Chinese, and Scottish children there were no cases of florid rickets and only 7 cases of subclinical rickets (3 African, 3 Chinese, and 1 Scottish). Loss of metaphyseal definition is considered to be the radiological pattern of minimal active rickets and metaphyseal bands to represent the healing stage. Serum 25-hydroxycholecalciferol concentrations were low in clinical and subclinical minimal active rickets although there was some overlap with the wide range found in the "normal" group. Elevated serum-alkaline-phosphatase levels alone should not be regarded as indicating vitamin-D deficiency. The continuing prevalence of rickets in Asian children and in particular among schoolchildren warrants immediate action, which is long overdue.
D000349:Africa / Q000208:ethnology; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D004872:Ergocalciferols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D006887:Hydroxycholecalciferols / Q000097:blood; D007194:India / Q000208:ethnology; D007223:Infant; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D008297:Male; D010710:Phosphates / Q000097:blood; D011859:Radiography; D012279:Rickets / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012606:Scotland; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014953:Wrist / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging
D004872:Ergocalciferols; D006887:Hydroxycholecalciferols; D010710:Phosphates; D014807:Vitamin D; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D002118:Calcium