title: Rickets in children of rural origin in South Africa: is low dietary calcium a factor?
abstract: Studies of nine children 4 7/12 to 13 years of age who had rickets are presented. No evidence of renal abnormalities, vitamin D deficiency, or of the inherited varieties of rickets was found. The salient features were their rural origins, mild hypocalcemia with evidence of secondary hyperparathyroidism, and improvement with a normal diet that contained an average of 944 mg calcium/24 hours. It is proposed that the etiology of the rickets is related to low calcium intake with or without a high oxalate concentration in the diet.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D002118:Calcium / Q000172:deficiency / Q000652:urine; D002136:Calcium, Dietary / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D006996:Hypocalcemia / Q000209:etiology; D007866:Leg / Q000002:abnormalities; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000097:blood; D011859:Radiography; D012279:Rickets / Q000150:complications / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D012424:Rural Population; D013019:South Africa; D014953:Wrist / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging
chemical_list: D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D010758:Phosphorus; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D002118:Calcium