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Rickets: Vitamin D and Mayo Clinic Staff Essay

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RUNNING HEAD: Rickets

Rickets

Abstract: Without a proper diet or a serious lack of nutrition a person is making his or her self susceptible to all sorts of diseases. All people, young and old, need to have a healthy and nutritional diet if they want to avoid the many diseases caused by poor nutrition. One disease young children are at risk for is rickets. Rickets is caused by a vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus deficiency. Rickets is the softening and weakening of the bones in children. Skeletal deformities and fractures can occur because the bones are so soft and weak. Rickets is seen during periods of rapid growth because during growth a great deal of vitamin D, phosphorus, and calcium are needed. “The predominant cause is a …show more content…

Rickets is seen during periods of rapid growth because during growth a great deal of vitamin D, phosphorus, and calcium are needed. “The predominant cause is a vitamin D deficiency, but lack of adequate calcium in the diet may also lead to rickets. Although it can occur in adults, the majority of cases occur in children suffering from severe malnutrition, usually resulting from famine or starvation during the early stages of childhood” (Rickets, 2007). If a child is severely lacking theses important vitamins and minerals when they are rapidly growing, then the body will compensate for the nutrients’ deficiencies. “Your body senses an imbalance of calcium and phosphorus in your bloodstream and reacts by taking calcium and phosphorus from your bones to raise blood levels to where they need to be. This softens or weakens the bone structure, resulting most commonly in skeletal deformities such as bowlegs or improper curvature of the spine” (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2006).
Affects:
Rickets affects the body in many ways. However, “vitamin D deficiency begins months before physical signs and symptoms of rickets appear” (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2006). The signs and symptoms do not appear overnight; instead the bones slowly soften and weaken over time. According to Wikipedia, some of the most common signs and symptoms of rickets are:

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