A major health problem facing immigrant children: nutritional rickets

Objectives Nutritional rickets (NR) is still an important problem and one which increasing influxes of immigrants are further exacerbating. This study evaluated cases of mostly immigrant children followed up with diagnoses of NR in our pediatric endocrinology clinic. Methods Details of 20 cases diagnosed with NR between 2017 and 2020 were retrieved from file records. Results Twenty (11 male) cases were included in the study. Three (15%) were Turkish nationals and the others (85%) were immigrants. Hypocalcemia and hypophosphatemia were detected in 17 and 13, respectively. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) values were normal in two cases, while ALP and parathyroid hormone (PTH) values were elevated in all other cases, and PTH levels were very high (473.64 ± 197.05 pg/mL). 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were below 20 ng/mL in all cases. Patients with NR received high-dose long-term vitamin D or stoss therapy. Six patients failed to attend long-term follow-up, while PTH and ALP levels and clinical findings improved at long-term follow-up in the other 14 cases. Conclusions The elevated PTH levels suggest only the most severe cases of NR presented to our clinic. Clinically evident NR is therefore only the tip of the iceberg, and the true burden of subclinical rickets and osteomalacia remains unidentified. Public health policies should therefore focus on universal vitamin D supplementation and adequate dietary calcium provision, their integration into child surveillance programs, adequate advice and support to ensure normal nutrition, exposure to sunlight, and informing families of the increased risk not only for resident populations but also for refugee and immigrant children.

Predictors of Spontaneous Remodelling of Angular Knee Deformities in Children with Healed Nutritional Rickets: A Prospective Cohort Study Protocol

Background: Nutritional rickets is still considered as a global health problem especially in low-resource countries and immigrant societies of developed countries. Generalized skeletal deformities including angular knee deformities as genu varum and genu valgum are prominent features of nutritional rickets. Angular knee deformities can cause gait difficulties. However, the true remodelling potential of the healed knee deformities is largely unknown to the pediatric and orthopedic community. Aims: The primary objective of this study protocol is to investigate the natural history of disease in regard to the remodelling potential of angular knee deformities in children and adolescents with healed nutritional rickets. And determine the potential patient- and deformity-related factors that are associated with a favorable deformity remodelling as age and sex of patients and type, severity, laterality of deformities etc. Methods: This will be a prospective observational analytical cohort natural history of disease study. A minimum of at least 140 knees with healed nutritional rickets and angular knee deformities will be observed at regular three-monthly intervals over a period of at least one year. We will report two outcome variables namely; clinical and radiological tibio-femoral angle. And independent patient and deformity-related variables as age, sex, deformity type, severity and laterality. Inferential statistics namely bivariate and multivariate analysis will be employed accordingly to identify the relation between outcome variables and the different independent variables. Ethics and dissemination: This protocol study has been approved by the institutional research ethics committee. Results will be presented at conferences and submitted to relevant international and society publications. Authors will also communicate the results to their scholarly networks and post them on scholarly networking sites. Conclusions: This study has the potential for improving the decision-making process as to which patients deserve conservative treatment and which deserve surgical deformity correction. Results are expected to have an impact on the clinical practice of pediatricians, orthopedic surgeons and family physicians alike.

Low Dose Depot Oral Vitamin D3 Versus Daily Oral Vitamin D3 for Treating Nutritional Rickets: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Objective: To compare the efficacy of daily versus low dose depot oral vitamin D3 for treating nutritional rickets. Design: Randomized Controlled Trial Setting: Paediatrics department of a tertiary care hospital catering to semi-urban and rural population in Delhi, India Methods: We randomized 66 children aged 3 months to 5 years with nutritional rickets to receive either daily oral vitamin D3 drops (3-12 months: 2000 IU; >12 months-5y: 4000 IU; n=33) for 12 weeks duration, or a single oral depot dose of vitamin D3 granules (3-12 months: 60,000 IU; >12 months-5y: 150,000 IU; n=33). Results: Participants in both groups had comparable demographic characteristics, laboratory features and radiological severity of rickets. 33 participants in each group received the assigned intervention and all were followed up till 12 weeks. At 12 weeks follow up, children in both groups showed a significant improvement in all biochemical parameters [serum calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase, parathormone and 25(OH) vitamin D levels] as well as radiological healing. At 12 weeks, the mean (SD) serum 25(OH) vitamin D levels (nmol/L) were statistically comparable in both groups [daily: 120.2 (83.2), depot: 108 (74), P=0.43] and 31 (94%) children in each group had radiological healing (Thacher score <1.5). Two children in each group persisted to have raised alkaline phosphatase and one child each in the daily group continued to have hypocalcemia and hypophosphatemia at 12 weeks. Conclusion: Low dose oral depot vitamin D3 is an effective alternative to daily oral vitamin D3 for nutritional rickets.

Rickets in Children: An Update

Rickets refers to a deficient mineralization of the growth plate cartilage, predominantly affecting longer bones. Despite the fact that preventive measures are available, it is still a common disease worldwide; nutritional rickets, due to vitamin D deficiency or dietary calcium inadequate intake, remains the most common form. Medical history, physical examination, radiologic features and biochemical tests are essential for diagnosis. Although recent studies suggest hypophosphatemia as the leading alteration, rickets is classically divided into two categories: calcipenic rickets and phosphopenic rickets. Knowledge of this categorization and of respective clinical and laboratory features is essential for rapid diagnosis and correct management. The aim of this review is to analyze the epidemiological, pathogenetic, clinical, and therapeutic aspects of the different forms of rickets, describing the novelties on this “long-lived” disease.

Case Report: Children with Severe Nutritional Rickets in the Naga Region in Northwest Myanmar, on the border with India

Rickets is an often-neglected, painful, and disabling childhood condition of impaired bone mineralization. In this case series we describe a cluster of 29 children with severe, painful bone deformities who live in the very remote region of Nagaland in northwest Myanmar. Children were found to have low 25-hydroxyvitamin D, elevated parathyroid hormone, and elevated alkaline phosphatase levels, consistent with nutritional rickets secondary to vitamin D deficiency, calcium deficiency, or a combination of the two. After treatment with vitamin D3 and calcium carbonate, significant improvement was seen in symptoms, biochemistry, and radiography. This is the first report of nutritional rickets in Myanmar in more than 120 years. Vitamin D and calcium supplementation, and food fortification for pregnant women and young children may be required to prevent this potentially devastating disease.

COMPARISON OF THE PARENTERAL AND ORAL VITAMIN D SUPPLEMENTATION IN THE TREATMENT OF NUTRITIONAL RICKETS IN TERMS OF MEAN CHANGE IN SERUM CALCIUM, PHOSPHORUS, AND ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Rickets is a common presentation on the pediatric floor, with nutritional rickets being the cause of leading significant morbidity, disability, especially in the developing countries of the world. The objective is to compare the efficacy of parenteral and oral vitamin D supplementation in the treatment of nutritional rickets METHODOLOGY: This comparative interventional, prospective analysis was conducted at Aziz Fatimah Hospital Faisalabad (1-1-2017 to 30-6-2017) outdoor patients divided into parenteral and oral groups. All of the outcome variables were measured at baseline and one month after treatment. RESULTS: In this study, mean age was calculated as 2.12 + 0.76 years and 2.15+0.77 in parental and oral groups respectively. 49.29% (n=69) and 45%(n=63) were male and 50.71%(n=71) and 55% (n=77) were female respectively in both groups. At baseline, serum calcium was 8.68 + 0.35 and 8.71 + 0.37 (p=0.62) serum phosphorus was 3.92 + 9.22 and 3.84 + 0.20 (p=0.03), and serum alkaline phosphatase was 230.01 + 13.09 and 228.89 + 13.80 (p=0.48) in parenteral and oral groups respectively. After treatment the mean change seen in serum calcium was 1.14 + 0.26 and 0.72 + 0.19 (p=0.001), serum phosphorus was 1.42 + 0.33 and 0.71 + 0.26 (p=0.001), serum Alkaline phosphatase was 79.48 + 14.84 and 23.65 + 12.21 (p=0.001) in parenteral and oral groups respectively. CONCLUSION: We concluded that the parenteral route for vitamin. D supplementation is significantly better than the oral route in treating nutritional rickets in terms of mean change in serum calcium, serum phosphorus, and serum alkaline phosphatase.

The validity of serum alkaline phosphatase to identify nutritional rickets in Nigerian children on a calcium-deprived diet

Context Nutritional rickets results from the interaction of low vitamin D status and limited calcium intake. Serum alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity is a biomarker of impaired mineralization in rickets. Objective To assess the performance of serum AP activity in identifying nutritional rickets in calcium-deprived Nigerian children. Design, setting, and participants We reanalyzed data from a case-control study of children with active rickets and matched control subjects without rickets, using a multivariate logistic regression to assess the odds of rickets associated with AP activity, adjusting for age, sex, and weight for age z-score. Results A total of 122 children with rickets and 119 controls were included. Rachitic children had a mean (±SD) age of 54±29 months, and 55 (45.1%) were male. Cases and controls had low dietary calcium intakes (216±87 and 214±96 mg/day, respectively). Serum AP activity levels in cases and controls were 812±415 and 245±78 U/L, respectively (P&lt;0.001). AP was negatively associated with 25-hydroxyvitamin D values (r=-0.34; P&lt;0.001). In the adjusted model, the odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for rickets was 6.7 (4.1-12.2) for each 100 U/L increase in AP. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.978. AP &gt;350 U/L identified nutritional rickets in Nigerian children with sensitivity 0.93, specificity 0.92, positive likelihood ratio 11.3, and negative likelihood ratio 0.07. Conclusions An AP &gt;350 U/L effectively discriminated between Nigerian children with and without nutritional rickets. AP is a low-cost biochemical test that could be used to screen for nutritional rickets, but cut-off values require validation in other populations, and laboratory values need to be standardized for widespread population studies.

Short report: craniosynostosis, a late complication of nutritional rickets

Objectives Nutritional rickets may be a preventable cause of craniosynostosis. This potential association is under-recognised. A late diagnosis of craniosynostosis may result in reduced brain growth, raised intracranial pressure and long-term psychosocial problems. Case presentation We present four cases of craniosynostosis associated with nutritional rickets. Those who had delayed presentation underwent emergency craniotomy. Conclusions Treatment of nutritional rickets and early identification of craniosynostosis can reduce morbidity in these children.

Effect of vitamin D and calcium alone or in combination in the treatment of nutritional rickets

Background: Nutritional rickets has emerged as a public health problem in Bangladesh during the past two decades, with up to 8% of children being clinically affected in some areas. Insufficiency of vitamin D and dietary calcium is thought to be the underlying cause. Vitamin D administered with or without calcium is commonly regarded as the mainstay of treatment. Calcium alone or in combination with vitamin D has also been used in the treatment of nutritional rickets. So this study was done to assess the effects of vitamin D, calcium or combination of vitamin D and calcium for the treatment of nutritional rickets in Bangladeshi children. Methods: This open labeled randomized comparative study was done in the Department of Paediatrics, Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital from July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2012 A total 48 rickets patient was enrolled in this study. After selection of cases patients were divided in to three groups by lottery method. Group A received single i/m dose of vitamin D 4,00,000 IU (2,00,000 IU in each buttock), Group B received calcium (750 mg per day) for 6 weeks and Group C received both calcium (750 mg per day) for 6 weeks and single i/m dose of vitamin D 4,00,000 IU (2,00,000 IU in each buttock). Response was evaluated by serum alkaline phosphatase level and using 10-point radiographic score developed by Thacher and colleagues at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks. Results: Mean age of the study participants was 35.83 months. Male to female ratio was 2:1. The radiographic score was significantly improved in first and second follow up (p<0.001) in all groups. But there was significant difference of improvement in Group C than Group A and Group B. In Group C, the percent reduction from base to first follow up was 80.05±7.04 and 90.65±3 in second follow up which showed quick improvement in combination therapy. Serum alkaline phosphatase also significantly reduced in all three groups. Conclusion: Combination use of vitamin D and calcium in the treatment of nutritional rickets is more effective than prescribing either vitamin D or calcium alone. Birdem Med J 2021; 11(1): 39-46