Rickets: a nutritional disease with variable clinical presentations

ABSTRACT

We carried out this study to delineate the clinical findings that can direct physicians towards infants and children who are at risk for rickets and to describe how to evaluate a child for vitamin D deficiency rickets in pediatric population attending Ahmer Maher Teaching Hospital. This study was conducted in Department of Pediatric , over a twelve months period from April 2003 to March 2004. Infants and children up to three years of age presenting with signs and symptoms of rickets were included and information regarding signs, symptoms, predisposing factors [crowded housing, isolated housing with deficient sun exposure, abundant sun but lack of awareness, malnutrition and antenatal factors] and investigations were carried out. Diagnosis was based on clinical signs, radiological changes on x-ray wrist joint and biochemical disturbance in serum levels of alkaline phosphatase, calcium, and inorganic phosphorus