Rickets Support Group

Support groups are important in life. Whether that be because you were diagnosed with a disease, a loved one has a disease, or you just need general support, a support group can provide encouragement and love. A support group is a group of people that meet together for an extended amount of time with the purpose of letting people know that they are not alone in whatever they’re going through. There are support groups for basically everything, but this blog post will focus on rickets support group. 

A support group is necessary and important for all parts in life, especially when one is diagnosed with a disease or for one living with it's effects. 

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There are several online forum or chat groups that people who suffer from rickets can post on. They then can receive encouragement or advice from other members of the group. A good example of this is this website http://www.mdjunction.com/rickets-and-osteomalacia . There are many other similar websites. Since rickets isn't very prevalent in Western culture, there are few support groups that get together and meet in person, but I imagine if one searched hard enough they could find one, especially if they live in a big city. Also, there is always the option of starting your own support group. 

Know that if you or your child is suffering from rickets, there are people who are going through the same thing you are. You're not in this alone. 

Rickets Apps

Technology serves us in numerous ways, both through education and entertainment.  There are information apps about rickets that are available for download. Even though rickets isn’t a large problem in developed countries anymore, there are still a few apps that provide information about the disease.

For example, there’s an app on Android phones simply titled “Rickets.” It includes a basic overview of what rickets is, what causes it, the symptoms, risk factors, treatment, and prevention. The information is simply written, and limited. But it is a good, basic overview for the general population.

The logo for "dminder", a great app to monitor your vitamin D levels. 

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Also for Android, there are several apps that allow you to track your daily intake of vitamin D. For example, “SunSmart” records how much time you spend in the sun and estimates how much vitamin D you obtain during the day. From there, you can adjust how much time you spend outside and how much vitamin D you consume. An app called “dminder” takes your geographical location into account and tells you much time you need to spend in the sun. It also takes vitamin D supplements into account.

There are also more general apps, like “Your Vitamin-Mineral Guide”, that include information about several vitamins and minerals. Education about things like this is very important.  

Any of these apps can be found on the Android app store, or the Google Play Store. 

Rickets and the Nurses Role

A nurse who is taking care of a child with rickets must be informed. They should know about the different types of rickets, the symptoms, the pathophysiology, and how rickets are treated. And in turn, they must inform the parents of their patients about what they need to know.  

It's a nurses role to inform parents about rickets and the importance of vitamin D

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It is critical that a nurse works alongside with the parents to ensure that the parents understand proper nutrition, vitamin supplementation, exercise, and sun exposure relating to the treatment of rickets. Education is a large part of this. When a child is born, it’s important for a nurse to inform the parents that if they plan on only breastfeeding, they will need to supplement with vitamin D, seeing as breast milk alone does not provide the daily recommended amount. Rickets is treated with vitamin D supplements, so a nurse must have adequate skills to teach the parents the importance and significance of those supplements as well.  

Additionally, a nurse who is treating a patient with rickets should ensure that their patient is comfortable, and help them deal with self-concept issues if any arise.