Explaining Rickets

Rickets is a disorder caused by insufficient action of activated Vitamin D in the body during childhood. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that may be absorbed from the intestines, or may be produced by the skin when it is exposed to ultraviolet light (particularly sunlight). It is converted to its active form by the body in 2 steps, occurring first in the liver and completed in the kidneys. In its active form, vitamin D acts …

…cause. The replacement of deficient calcium, phosphorus, and/or vitamin D causes symptoms to disappear. There may be a need to use the biologically active form of vitamin D in people who have vitamin D-resistant rickets or who have difficulty converting it into its active form. Exposure to moderate amounts of sunlight is encouraged. Positioning or bracing may be used to reduce or prevent deformities. A surgical correction of some skeletal deformities may be necessary.