Pictures of a Vitamin Deficiency Disease Known as Rickets

Overview of Rickets

While tan lines are a part of everyday summer life, people need to take more precaution when sunbathing. Most sun worshipers love basking in the hot summer sun, because it naturally makes them feel better. Sunshine is the number source of vitamin D. As little as 10 minutes of exposure is thought to be enough to prevent deficiencies. Rickets and Osteomalacia are classic vitamin D deficiency diseases. A child, deficient in vitamin D is more likely to develop Rickets. Which often is the causes of major skeletal deformities. In adults, vitamin D deficiency can lead to Osteomalacia, which results in muscular weakness in addition to weak bones. So not only does the warm glow of the summer sun somehow makes us feel better about ourselves. It is important to living a healthy, happy life.

Unlike childhood arthritis, Rickets causes the bones to soften.  The number one source for Vitamin D for babies, is found in their mother's breast milk.  Surprisingly enough, breast fed babies are at a higher risk of developing a Vitamin D deficiency, than that of bottle fed infants.  Mothers who have no sunlight exposure, need to consumer Vitamin D supplements when breast feeding.  Breast fed infants also need more direct sunlight, when the mother isn't getting enough sunshine in her daily diet either.  Babies lactose intolerant need to be seen by a registered Pediatrician.  Lactose intolerant children have no way of storing Vitamin D in their systems.  Calcium build up and absorption in the body is added by Vitamin D.  Without a sufficient amount of Vitamin D in their bellies, the calcium cannot be collected, and absorbed into the baby's bones.  Causing the bone mass to become soft, pliable and frail.  Their has been speculation that naturally born red heads have a decreased risk for developing rickets.  This decrease risk is caused by their bodies producing greater amounts of vitamin D from sunshine, than dark hair children do.  Congenital Rickets is a birth defect caused during pregnancy, when the mother has low vitamin D levels in her body.