What is the cause of Rickets in children?

Bihar CHO - 2021

Child Health Nursing (Pediatrics)

Easy

Appeared in: Bihar CHO - 2021

Explanation

Rickets is a skeletal disorder in children characterized by soft and weak bones due to defective mineralization.
The primary cause is Vitamin D deficiency, as this vitamin is essential for the absorption of calcium and phosphorus from the intestine.
Without adequate Vitamin D, the body cannot build and maintain strong bone tissue, leading to the characteristic deformities of rickets.

Option A: Vitamin C deficiency causes scurvy, a disease affecting connective tissues, leading to symptoms like bleeding gums, poor wound healing, and joint pain, not the bone deformities of rickets.
Option B: Deficiency of B vitamins leads to various conditions, such as beriberi (thiamine/B1 deficiency) or pellagra (niacin/B3 deficiency), which primarily affect the nervous system, skin, and metabolism, not bone mineralization.
Option C: Vitamin A deficiency primarily affects vision, leading to night blindness, and also impacts immune function and skin health. It is not directly involved in calcium metabolism or bone mineralization.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Etiology of Rickets in children as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses play a crucial role in preventing rickets by educating parents on the importance of adequate sunlight exposure, a balanced diet, and Vitamin D supplementation, especially for exclusively breastfed infants.
Early identification of risk factors (e.g., limited sun exposure, dark skin pigmentation, malabsorption syndromes) and clinical signs (e.g., delayed motor milestones, bone pain) is essential for prompt diagnosis and treatment.
What if? If the same Vitamin D deficiency occurs in an adult, the condition is known as osteomalacia. It causes bone softening, leading to bone pain and an increased risk of fractures, but it does not cause the growth plate deformities seen in children's rickets.

How to Approach the Question

This is a direct recall question testing your knowledge of vitamin deficiencies.
First, identify the key term in the question: 'Rickets'.
Recall the primary function of each vitamin listed in the options.
Connect the function of each vitamin to its potential deficiency disease. Vitamin A is for vision, Vitamin C is for connective tissue (collagen), and B vitamins have various metabolic roles.
Recognize that Vitamin D is uniquely responsible for calcium and phosphate absorption, which is critical for bone health.
Therefore, a deficiency in Vitamin D is the logical cause of a bone-softening disease like rickets in growing children.

Concept Tested & Keywords

QnRL9aCQqUMHMip532dTFB

E6 Textbook of Biochemistry for medical StudentsDM Vasudevan Part 2 — Subpart A (pp 1-239 of 478) p. 126-128

E6 Nutrition Monika Sharma 3e p. 132-134

E6 Ghai Essential Pediatrics(pp 26-904 of 913) p. 102-104