Rickets is a disease of growing bone is characterized by the failure of calcium to be stored in the bones. So the bones become soft and easily broken or changed its form. Because the disease is the bone that is growing, it only occurs in children. But if left untreated it will continue into adulthood.
Rickets Clinical Symptoms
There are several symptoms and signs in rickets:
* In infants, can be found a state of spasm, stiffness, slow physical growth, weakness, and failure to thrive.
* In children who have started walking, can be found such a state of deformity of the foot bones, especially such as genu varum (knee bending towards the outside like a bow shape) or genu vakgum (second meeting of the knee if the leg straightened out, knees bent toward the inside).
Rickets Management
MDs approach can be taken to correct the abnormalities of bone that occurs. But if the underlying (calcium deficiency) are not corrected, then the bone abnormalities that have been corrected can be changed back. If bone abnormalities that occur are not so severe, it can be used a tool called a splint is used at night. Splint is intended to correct slowly kelaianan bones (genu varum, genu valgum) are there. If bone abnormalities that occur, including severe category, then it can be taken osteotomy (bone cut) so that near-normal shape.
Rickets Cause
Vitamin D is needed for calcium absorption from the gut. So if your body is deficient in vitamin D, calcium is not absorbed from the intestine, causing hypocalcemia (lack of calcium in the blood) that will eventually lead to deformity (deformity) of bones and teeth as well as other symptoms such as seizures, growth terganggua, and limp. Other causes of rickets are genetic. It is known that the disease rickets can be inherited from parents. It is known that sunlight plays an important role on the formation of vitamin D in our bodies. Thus there are several risk factors that may increase the incidence of rickets, namely:
* Babies who breastfeed from mothers who are rarely exposed to sunlight
* Babies who are rarely exposed to sunlight
* Symptoms and other signs that can be found is hypocalcemia, soft skull, swelling kostokondral (rachitic Rosary) and the wrist.
Rickets Additional Inspection
Additional checks can be done is to check levels of calcium and alkaline phosphatase in the blood. Can be found that calcium levels in patients with rickets were below normal, while levels of alkaline phosphatase is usually increased. In addition, to diagnose rickets bone x-ray examination can be done. In this examination, can be seen that the reduced bone density, especially in the epiphyseal bone (the bone growth)
Rickets Prevention
The basis of this disease is a deficiency of calcium. So to prevent calcium deficiency, can do a variety of efforts such as by eating foods that contain lots of calcium, foods that contain lots of vitamin D, and more frequent exposure to sunlight (especially early morning hours around the clock 7 to 10). Vitamin D is important because it serves to help the absorption of calcium from the intestine, while the sun is important for the formation of vitamin D.
