World's only gaming club for people who suffer from rickets

Rickets is a condition that results in weak or soft bones in children.[1] Symptoms include bowed legs, stunted growth, bone pain, large forehead, and trouble sleeping.[1][2] Complications may include bone fractures, muscle spasms, an abnormally curved spine, or intellectual disability.[1][2]

The most common cause is vitamin D deficiency.[1] This can result from eating a diet without enough vitamin D, dark skin, too little sun exposure, exclusive breastfeeding without vitamin D supplementation, celiac disease, and certain genetic conditions.[1][2] Other factors may include not enough calcium or phosphorus.[3][4] The underlying mechanism involves insufficient calcification of the growth plate.[5] Diagnosis is generally based on blood tests finding a low calcium, low phosphorus, and a high alkaline phosphatase together with X-rays.[1]

Prevention includes vitamin D supplements for exclusively breastfed babies.[4] Treatment depends on the underlying cause.[1] If due to a lack of vitamin D, treatment is usually with vitamin D and calcium.[1] This generally results in improvements within a few weeks.[1] Bone deformities may also improve over time.[4] Occasionally surgery may be done to fix bone deformities.[2] Genetic forms of the disease typically require specialized treatment.[4]

Rickets occurs relatively commonly in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.[3] It is generally uncommon in the United States and Europe, except among certain minority groups.[2][3] It begins in childhood, typically between the ages of 3 and 18 months old.[2][3] Rates of disease are equal in males and females.[2] Cases of what is believed to have been rickets have been described since the 1st century,[6] and the condition was widespread in the Roman Empire.[7] The disease was common into the 20th century.[6] Early treatments included the use of cod liver oil.[6]