Nutritional rickets and vitamin D deficiency in infants, children and adolescents.
Nutritional rickets continues to be a public health problem in many countries despite the presence of cheap and effective means of preventing the disease. Deficiency of vitamin D is associated with rickets in growing children and osteomalacia in adults. Vitamin D deficiency is attributed to a variety of causes including diet, atmospheric pollution, religious practices that restrict sunlight exposure (clothing), geographic latitude and altitude, season, and time of the day. The clinical findings of rickets can vary among stages of the disease. It is recommended that healthy infants, children and adolescents take at least 400 IU vitamin D per day to prevent rickets and vitamin D deficiency. Pediatricians and other healthcare professionals should try to ensure that children and adolescents receive daily vitamin D requirements appropriate for their risk factors, traditions, and customs. Additionally, it is important to use every opportunity to ensure that effective preventive strategies are put in practice.
Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Faculty of Medicine, Adnan Menderes University, Aydin, Turkey.
Tolga
T
Unuvar
Atilla
A
Buyukgebiz
D000293:Adolescent; D017195:Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002648:Child; D015362:Child Nutrition Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D012279:Rickets / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*
D014807:Vitamin D