Rickets, Bone Disease Due to Vitamin D Deficiency

Rickets is a condition in which bones soften. This happens during infancy or infancy. In rickets, bones are unable to absorb enough calcium and phosphorus to form strong bones.

The incidence of bone disease has increased globally in recent years. However, rickets are more common in developing countries. Vitamin D deficiency, also known as nutritional rickets, is a major cause of rickets. In addition, genetic factors and metabolic disorders can also cause bone disease.
Nutrition Rickets

This bone disease usually occurs in the first two years of a baby's life. Rheumatism causes people to take short stances, abnormal gait and developmental barriers. Hypocalcemia can occur in children under 6 months. At an older age, symptoms of this disease include stunted growth and bone deformity.

Nutritional rickets caused by insufficient sun exposure or vitamin D intake. Changes in the play style of children who tend to play indoors and use sunscreen can influence the increase in this disease.

Dark skinned people have a higher risk of getting rickets. In fact, dark-skinned people need more sun exposure to produce the amount of vitamin D. Melanin, which gives skin color, acts as a filter and absorbs sunlight.

Other risk factors that increase the risk of rickets in infants and children include:

Don't get exclusive breast milk and enough calcium
Eat formulas without vitamin D supplementation
Malnutrition and vegetarian diet
Babies born to mothers with vitamin D deficiency

Factors of rickets genetic

In addition to vitamin D deficiency, genetic factors also play a role in the occurrence of this bone disease. Genetic factors can cause rickets that are dependent on resistant vitamin D and vitamin D. However, only a few cases of rickets are caused by this.

Rickets that depend on type 1 vitamin D are caused by an abnormal gene that produces 25 (OH) D3-1-a-hydroxylase, whereas type 2 is caused by mutations in the vitamin D. receptor type 2, this bone disease cannot be treated with vitamin D.

In vitamin D resistant rickets or familial pituitary rickets, mutations occur in genes that regulate phosphorus. This causes disruption of phosphorus reabsorption in the proximal renal tubules. Another hereditary disorder is rickets hypofostat with hypercalciuria. The difference between the two lies in the levels of calcitriol in the body.
Rickets due to a medical condition

Rickets can occur in someone with other health problems that cause disorders of calcium and phosphorus metabolism, such as kidney and liver disorders. The risk of rickets increases with preterm birth.

Bone disease is also high risk for someone with malabsorption disorders, namely inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), celiac disease, and cystic fibrosis. Tumors that excrete factors that affect phosphate and interfere with calcitriol production also play a role in rickets.

Various drugs that are often consumed have side effects on bone metabolism. Drugs that can increase the risk of rickets include antacids, anticonvulsants (anticonvulsants), corticosteroids, and diuretics.
Prevention of rickets
Prevention of rickets can be done from an early age. It is always recommended that babies who have received breast milk consume 400 IU of vitamin D every day. This can be done by giving vitamin drops or morning sunlight. For nursing mothers, a daily requirement for vitamin D of at least 600 IU must be met.