Rickets: Epidemiology

While rickets isn’t as prevalent in modern day America compared to older times or even to current day third world countries, it hasn’t been completely eradicated. The Mayo Clinic investigated the records of rickets in a county in Minnesota, and found that 768 children were diagnosed with rickets between the years 1970 and 2009. While this may seem like a small amount of children over a long period of time, remember, this study was just concerned with people in that specific Minnesotan county.  Many people don’t consume enough Vitamin D in their everyday life. Exclusively breastfed babies, premature babies, dark skinned people and people who don’t have much sun exposure are all at risk for Vitamin D deficiency, and in turn, are at risk for rickets.

Breastfeed babies can be deficient in Vitamin D if their mothers didn’t consume enough of the vitamin during pregnancy, or throughout the time they spent breast feeding. As a result, an exclusively breastfeed baby may not be receiving enough Vitamin D through milk alone. Without Vitamin, the baby’s bones can become soft and they become at risk for rickets. Many babies who are born premature can also be at risk for rickets. Their bodies may not have enough Vitamin D, or they may not be able to properly metabolize it. This problem can be solved with additional supplements to the babies diets. During the first few years of life, children’s bones grow rapidly. It is important that their bones have the nutrients they need in order to thrive.

This map demonstrates the Vitamin D deficiency among the general population (blue), and the population of pregnant women (yellow).  

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Amongst populations of people with darker skin, Vitamin D deficiency is common. As stated earlier, Vitamin D deficiency and rickets are often interrelated. Because of the darker pigmentation of the skin, it’s more difficult for the body to utilize the Vitamin D it does receive. The same idea applies to people who spend a lot of time inside. Vitamin D cannot be absorbed and used if it doesn’t reach the skin. 

Overall, rickets tends to affect younger children, while all can suffer from Vitamin D deficiency. It's important to be aware of what you're eating and what you are feeding your children.