Rickets Warning Rickets is a childhood problem that was just about wiped out with the introduction of vitamin-D fortified food. The CDC, working with the Georgia Division of Public Health, recently identified six cases of nutritional rickets. Nutritional rickets, a condition that causes weak or deformed bones in young people, is rare in the United States since the introduction of vitamin-D fortified milk and infant formula several decades ago. Health officials identified these cases among children who were admitted to Georgia hospitals for malnutrition. Parents also need to ensure that children get enough vitamin-D after they are weaned from breast milk or fortified infant formula.
People also get vitamin-D through exposure to sunlight.
According to the CDC, rickets is not always easy to recognize in infants and toddlers because its early symptoms mimic other conditions. Infants often have seizures and high fevers associated with a secondary infection. If the child is treated for infection and no blood is drawn, there will be no indication of low calcium levels, which would suggest rickets. There are no national rates for rickets because it is not a reportable public health disease, and there are no surveillance systems that capture information about it. All Concept Communications material is provided for information only and is neither advice nor a substitute for proper medical care.