Rickets is a condition that causes soft weak bones that can become bowed or curved, muscle weakness and tooth deformities. It is most common in infants from three to 18 months.
In babies the skull remains soft and the bones do not close properly. The ends of the long bones of the legs and arms are enlarged, so characteristic symptoms of rickets include bow legs. For this reason, rickets is also associated with a delay in walking.
What causes a vitamin D deficiency in babies?
Our bodies produce vitamin D after the skin is exposed to sunshine. But ideally a baby won’t be in the direct sunlight at all in the first six months, so he/she won’t get enough vitamin D from the sun – even if you live in a relatively sunny place, like South Africa. Another cause of vitamin D deficiency is an unbalanced diet, lacking in calcium and vitamin D.
In South Africa this condition tends to occur in infants and children who are either exclusively breast-fed by mothers deficient in vitamin D and calcium, or fed an inadequate diet or are kept indoors for long periods of time and not exposed to sunlight3.
When does a baby need a vitamin D supplement?
In most cases, breast milk or formula provides just about everything a baby needs for the first four to six months. However, the exception is vitamin D.
This is why the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) now recommends that you give your breastfed baby a supplement of 400 IU per day of vitamin D, starting in the first few days of life.
Babies who are fully or partially formula fed but drink less than 900mls of formula a day also need a daily 400 IU vitamin Dsupplement1.
How is rickets treated?
Most cases of rickets can be treated with vitamin D and calcium supplements.
Always follow the doctor’s directions as to dosage as too much vitamin D can be harmful. A child’s progress will be monitored with X-rays and blood tests4, and more-severe skeletal deformities may require surgery.
How to get enough vitamin D in your baby’s diet:
- Ensure you and your children spend a few minutes outside each day, winter or summer. Incidental sunlight exposure is helpful in topping up vitamin D levels.
- Some foods in South Africa are fortified with vitamin D, including margarine, maize meal, bread and breakfast cereals. Try to incorporate these into your’s and your little one’s diets along with foods containing naturally occurring vitamin D content such as oily fish and egg yolks.
- Take a daily supplement of vitamin D, such asColief® Vitamin D3 Drops, which are specially designed to provide the right amount of vitamin D for you or your child in the preferred form of vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol).
