Metabolic studies in congenital vitamin D deficiency rickets

Congenital rickets in 3 newborns of mothers with advanced nutritional osteomalacia, healed with maternal breast milk feeding when mothers alone were given calcium supplements and 7.5 mg of intravenous D2 and the mother baby pair protected from sunlight. Maternal plasma biochemistry indicated more severe vitamin D deficiency compared to their newborns (intrauterine foetal priority). The first dose of 7.5 mg of vitamin D3 and calcium supplements to mother healed osteomalacia but did not appear to heal the rickets of their breast fed infants (extrauterine maternal priority for vitamin D). A second dose given at 3 months interval healed the rickets in their infants and the biochemistry of the mother and baby returned towards normal. Congenital rickets developed when maternal bone mineral and vitamin D stores had been completely exhausted. Raised IPTH levels in the newborn suggested that foetal parathyroids were responsive to hypocalcaemic stimulus.