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Frequency of nutritional rickets in children admitted with severe pneumonia
Nighat Haider1, Abdul Ghaffar Nagi, Khalid Mehmood A Khan
1Department of Paediatric Medicine, National Institute of Child Health, Karachi.
Insights
Nutritional rickets is common in hospitalized children with severe pneumonia, affecting 74% of cases. Breastfeeding and lack of sunlight exposure are associated risk factors for rickets in these children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Nutritional Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Severe pneumonia is a common pediatric illness.
- Nutritional rickets is a significant public health concern in children.
- The relationship between severe pneumonia and nutritional rickets requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the frequency of nutritional rickets in children hospitalized with severe pneumonia.
- To identify potential risk factors associated with nutritional rickets in this population.
Main Methods:
- A case series study was conducted over six months.
- 137 children hospitalized with severe pneumonia were included.
- Serum calcium, phosphorus, and alkaline phosphatase levels were analyzed to diagnose rickets.
Main Results:
- Nutritional rickets was observed in 74% (101/137) of children with severe pneumonia.
- Rickets was more prevalent in infants aged 2-12 months (79.8%).
- Breastfed infants and those with less sunlight exposure showed a higher frequency of rickets.
Conclusions:
- Severe pneumonia is a frequent presentation of nutritional rickets.
- Breastfeeding and limited sunlight exposure may increase the risk of rickets in children with severe pneumonia.
Objective:
To determine the frequency of nutritional rickets in children hospitalized with severe pneumonia.
Method:
This study was carried out at the department of paediatric medicine at National Institute of Child Health Karachi. It is a case series done over a period of six months from 15th November 2008 to 15th may 2009. Patients admitted (n=137) with severe pneumonia were included in the study and were investigated for presence of rickets with serum calcium, phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase. Those having low to normal calcium low phosphorus and raised alkaline phosphatase were labeled as having rickets. All data collected were entered on Performa. Children with familial, vitamin D dependent/resistant rickets, secondary rickets, and cerebral palsy or on anti convulsant therapy were excluded from this study.
Results:
Out of 137 patients, with severe pneumonia, 83 were male and 54 female. Frequency of nutritional rickets in children with severe pneumonia was observed in 101(74%) cases. Rickets was more common in 2 to 12 months of age, i.e., 79.8% (67/84) and in those children who were breast fed (85.3% vs. 40%). Frequency was higher in those children who were not exposed to sunlight.
Conclusion:
Pneumonia is a very common presentation of rickets. This study suggests that rickets may be more common in children who are breast fed and those who have less exposure to sunlight.
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