Prevalence of nutritional rickets among children presenting to Sam hospital in Sana'a city, Yemen

ABSTRACT

To study the prevalence, treatment and prevention of nutritional rickets among children presenting to Sam hospital in Sana'a city. Record-based descriptive study was done in Sam hospital in Sana'a city during one year from 1 May 2007 to 31 April 2008. Out of 10800 patients seen for different causes through that period, 114 [1.05%] had one or more symptoms and/or signs of rickets such as wide fontanel, delayed teething, rosary rickets, bow legs,.etc. Those patients subjected to radiological investigations [wrist X-ray], and few of them to laboratory investigations [alkaline phosphatase, calcium and phosphorus]. Data about age and sex were also collected. Age group of the patients was 0-3 years. Total patients were 10800, [6060 males, 4740 females]. Patients who had one or more symptoms and/or signs of rickets were 114 [1.05%] [78 males, 36 females], of those 80 [70.2%] confirmed diagnoses as rickets by radiological, and laboratory investigations. Thirty two patients out of 88 were in age group between 6-12 months, in addition to 32 patients in age group between 1-1.5 years. The majority of the patients were males, the prevalence of nutritional rickets was very high, common in age 6-18 months. It is a common problem among children in Sana'a city, hence immediate treatment, by sufficient dose of vitamin D and calcium while prevention is throughout encouragement of mothers, children and infants to exposed to sunlight and to take diet rich in vitamin D and calcium