Rickets

Worldwide, rickets is the most common form of metabolic bone disease in children. Despite the concept that it is a rare disease, it is on the increase in many regions, including Western Europe and the USA, and in many ethnic subgroups that have immigrated to temperate regions. Vitamin D deficiency is the main cause of rickets, though nutritional deficiency of calcium and phosphorous generates the same clinical picture. Rickets also occurs when the metabolites of vitamin D are deficient. This may be due to an inherited cause or secondary to disorders of the gut, pancreas, liver or kidney from disruption of vitamin D metabolism.