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Rickets in Nigerian children: response to calcium supplementation
T Thacher1, R H Glew, C Isichei
1Department of General Medical Practice, Jos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria.
Journal of Tropical Pediatrics
|September 1, 1999
Summary
Calcium supplementation improved rickets in Nigerian children, with 90% showing healing. While serum calcium normalized, other markers suggest potential vitamin D synthesis issues contributing to rickets.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Nutritional Science
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Previous research in Jos, Nigeria, identified inadequate dietary calcium as a primary cause of rickets.
- Rickets remains a significant health concern in the studied population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of calcium supplementation on children with confirmed rickets.
- To investigate biochemical and radiographic markers of rickets healing following calcium therapy.
Main Methods:
- Ten children with radiographically and biochemically proven rickets received 1000 mg/day of calcium for 3 months.
- Serum and urine samples were analyzed for calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase, parathyroid hormone, and vitamin D metabolites.
- Dietary recalls and comparison with age-matched controls were utilized.
Main Results:
- Nine out of ten subjects (90%) exhibited radiographic evidence of rickets healing.
- Serum calcium levels in the supplemented group returned to levels comparable to controls.
- Biochemical indicators suggested that rickets etiology might be multifactorial, possibly involving 25-hydroxyvitamin D synthesis defects.
Conclusions:
- Calcium supplementation is effective in healing rickets in this Nigerian cohort.
- The persistent biochemical abnormalities suggest that calcium deficiency alone may not fully explain rickets in all cases.
- Further investigation into potential vitamin D metabolism disturbances is warranted.