Nutritional Rickets among Children in a Sun Rich Country

• Published in: International journal of pediatric endocrinology 2010-09, Vol.2010 (1), p.410502-410502
• Main Authors: Bener, Abdulbari, Hoffmann, Georg F
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alfacalcidol; Calcifediol; Children; Diabetes; Health aspects; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Phosphatases; Rickets; Risk factors; Vitamin D
• ISSN: 1687-9856; 1687-9848; 1687-9856
• DOI: 10.1186/1687-9856-2010-410502

Objective. This study describes the magnitude and characteristics of nutritional rickets and associated risk factors among children in Qatar. Subjects. A consecutive sample of 730 healthy subjects who visited the primay health care clinics were approached and 540 (73.9%) subjects gave consent. Mehods. Nutritional rickets diagnosis was based on clinical radiologic and biochemical parameters and normalization of alkaline phosphatase level after 6 weeks course of daily vitamin D therapy. Results. The study revealed that 23.9% of the studied children had nutritional rickets. The mean ± SD age of those with rickets (3.76 years ± 1.51) was slightly higher than those without rickets (3.57 years ± 1.45). Family history of vitamin D deficiency (44.2%; P = .001) and diabetes mellitus (53.5%; P = .002) were significantly higher in rachitic children than in nonrachitic children. The children with rickets spent a significantly shorter average duration (26.86 minutes ± 19.94) under the sun than those without rickets (30.59 minutes ± 15.72; P < .001). A significantly larger proportion of rachitic children was afflicted with vitamin D deficiency (75.2% versus 62.2%; P < .001), secondary hypothyroidism (100% versus 7.5%; P = .009) and muscular weakness (56.6% versus 26.3%; P < .001). Conclusion. The most important risk factors were low vitamin D and calcium intakes, lack of exposure to sunlight, prolonged breast feeding without supplementation of vitamin D.