How to Identify the Causes of Rickets

Rickets is a condition which most commonly results from poor nutrition. Identifying the cause of rickets is the first step in treatment. While rickets was once primarily attributed to poor nutrition or lack of sunlight exposure, today other conditions are also likely to cause rickets.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Evaluate eating patterns and diet. People without access to proper diet may experience symptoms consistent with rickets. Also, people who are vegetarians may suffer from rickets if they don't find ways to ingest an adequate supply of calcium from non-animal sources.
2. Track sun exposure. The sun is a major source of Vitamin D. Without Vitamin D, essential nutrients can't be absorbed into the digestive system.
3. Critique the diet of a mother who is breastfeeding a child suspected of having rickets. Breastfeeding mothers who receive poor nutrition are more likely to have babies with rickets.
4. Recognize that hereditary rickets frequently results from the body's inability to hold an adequate supply of phosphorous. It can also result from the kidney's inability to release acid through urine.
5. Know that gastrectomy, which refers to the surgical removal of part of the stomach, can lead to rickets. Doctors supplement the diets of patients who have undergone a gastrectomy to protect against rickets.
6. Watch for signs of celiac disease, which reduces absorption of nutrients into the digestive system and can lead to rickets.
7. Understand that infants born prematurely have an increased risk of developing rickets. Vitamin supplements are necessary to offset this risk.