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.