Rickets and vitamin D deficiency in Alaska native children.
BACKGROUND
Rickets and vitamin D deficiency appeared to increase in Alaskan children starting in the 1990s. We evaluated the epidemiology of rickets and vitamin D deficiency in Alaska native (AN) children in 2001-2010.


METHODS
We analyzed 2001-2010 visits with rickets or vitamin D deficiency diagnosis for AN and American Indian children and the general US population aged <10 years. We conducted a case-control study of AN rickets/vitamin D deficient cases and age- and region-matched controls.


RESULTS
In AN children, annual rickets-associated hospitalization rate (2.23/100,000 children/year) was higher than the general US rate (1.23; 95% CI 1.08-1.39). Rickets incidence increased with latitude. Rickets/vitamin D deficiency cases were more likely to have malnutrition (OR 38.1; 95% CI 4.9-294), had similar breast-feeding prevalence, and were less likely to have received vitamin D supplementation (OR 0.23; 95% CI 0.1-0.87) than controls.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings highlight the importance of latitude, malnutrition, and lack of vitamin D supplementation as risk factors for rickets.
Rosalyn
R
Singleton
Rachel
R
Lescher
Bradford D
BD
Gessner
Matthew
M
Benson
Lisa
L
Bulkow
John
J
Rosenfeld
Timothy
T
Thomas
Robert C
RC
Holman
Dana
D
Haberling
Michael
M
Bruce
Michael
M
Bartholomew
James
J
Tiesinga
D000413:Alaska / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012279:Rickets / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D012307:Risk Factors; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology
D014807:Vitamin D