Causes of rickets in children

There are many common diseases among children. When treating children's diseases, you must first understand the disease so that you will know what method to choose when treating it. Drugs are a good choice for treating children's diseases, and they are very effective in alleviating the disease. However, it should be noted that when treating children's rickets, you must first understand the cause so that you can know how to treat it. The following is a detailed introduction.

Causes of rickets in children:

1. Insufficient calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D reserves

The fetus's calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D come from the mother. 75% of calcium and phosphorus reserves are stored in the last three months of pregnancy, that is, after 28 weeks of gestational age. The intake reaches the highest amount in life, that is, 150 mg/(kg·d) for calcium and 75 mg/(kg·d) for phosphorus. The amount of vitamin D stored in newborns depends on the development of the skin. When pregnant women have severe reactions during pregnancy or due to picky eating, insufficient sunlight, pregnancy-induced hypertension or osteomalacia, as well as for reasons such as twins or premature birth, the newborn's body may have insufficient calcium, phosphorus and/or vitamin D reserves.

2. Insufficient intake of vitamin D, calcium and phosphorus

The content of vitamin D in both human milk and cow's milk is very low and can hardly meet the daily needs of newborns. Human milk contains 0-100U/L of vitamin D, with an average of 22U/L; cow's milk contains 3-40U/L, with an average of 14U/L. Full-term infants need 400 units of vitamin D per day, and premature infants need even more, up to 800 units per day. However, because premature infants consume less milk, they are more likely to suffer from vitamin D and calcium and phosphorus deficiencies. Human milk contains 340 mg/L calcium and 150 mg/L phosphorus, which are relatively low, but the calcium:phosphorus = 2:1, which is more suitable for intestinal absorption; cow's milk contains 1200 mg/L calcium and 900 mg/L phosphorus, and the calcium:phosphorus = 1.2:1, which is not suitable for intestinal absorption, so the incidence of rickets is higher in those who are breastfed.

3. Growing too fast

The growth rate of bones is proportional to the need for calcium and phosphorus. The growth rate of fetuses and newborns in the last 3 months of pregnancy exceeds that of any age group and is prone to vitamin D deficiency.

4. Insufficient secretion of parathyroid hormone and imperfect liver and kidney function

Neonates have insufficient parathyroid hormone secretion and imperfect renal tubular response to parathyroid hormone, which leads to increased tubular reabsorption of phosphorus and reduced reabsorption of calcium, easily leading to hyperphosphatemia and hypocalcemia in neonates. Magnesium and calcitonin secreted by thyroid C cells are also closely related to vitamin D and calcium-phosphorus metabolism. The imperfect liver and kidney function of newborns can also affect the hydroxylation of vitamin D, reducing the biological activity of vitamin D.

After understanding the cause of rickets in children, when treating rickets in children, family members should let the children undergo various physical examinations first, so that they can have a good understanding of their specific conditions and know what method to choose during treatment. When treating rickets in children, family members should also actively cooperate with the doctor.