Softening of the bones , which is termed osteomalacia , is a symptom of rickets as well as of some other disorders. Cause Rickets is caused by a lack of vitamin D in the body. This vitamin is necessary for calcium utilization for growing bones .
Calcium is important for many cellular processes.
If calcium is in short supply, the body borrows it from the skeleton . The liver and kidneys manufacture vitamin D from chemicals produced when the skin is exposed to the sun. The vitamin deficiency arises primarily from insufficient exposure to sunlight. It usually can be prevented by eating foods fortified with vitamin D. Incidence Rickets is uncommon in the United States because most American children not only drink vitamin-D fortified milk but also are exposed to considerable sunlight. Elsewhere, the disease is more likely to appear in places where winters are long or there is less sunlight generally.