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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Ithaca, New York » Robert W. Holley Center for Agriculture & Health » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #102816
Title: NUTRITIONAL RICKETS WITHOUT VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY IN BANGLADESH

Author
item FISCHER, PHIL - MAYO CLINIC
item RAHMAN, ABDUR - SARPV
item CIMMA, JEAN-PAUL - AMIS DES ENFANTS DU MONDE
item KYAW-MYINT, JOHNNY - UNICEF
item KABIR, ARM - INST CHILD/MOTHER HEALTH
item TALUKDER, KHURSHID - INST CHILD/MOTHER HEALTH
item HASSAN, NAZMUL - KHAKA UNIVERSITY
item STAAB, D - CORNELL UNIVERSITY
item DUXBURY, JOHN - CORNELL UNIVERSITY
item Welch, Ross

Submitted to: Journal of Tropical Pediatrics
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/1/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Rickets is a nutritional disease of infancy and childhood that results in malformations of bones in rapidly growing infants and children. Normally, rickets is associated with a deficiency of vitamin D in children deprived of enough exposure to sunlight because vitamin D can be synthesized in the skin during exposure to sunlight. However, recent reports suggest that rickets can also occur as a result of insufficient calcium intake in children in tropical environments. Rickets in children has been observed frequently in southeastern Bangladesh in recent years that is resistant to standard vitamin D treatment. Both rachitic and apparently normal children were evaluated with respect to rickets in the Chakaria region of Bangladesh. Rickets was readily identified in this region. It was similar to the calcium deficiency rickets reported for certain African nations. Furthermore, some presumably normal children displayed physical signs of rickets and most showed biochemical evidence suggestive of insufficient intake of calcium. The results demonstrate that there is an urgent need for effective interventions to increase dietary calcium intake in children in this region of Bangladesh, and suggest that wider surveys should be performed to determine the extent of the calcium deficiency rickets problem in all of Bangladesh and possibly other developing nations.

Technical Abstract: Rickets is readily identified in southeastern Bangladesh. It seems to be similar to the calcium deficiency rickets that has been reported in Africa. In addition, some presumably unaffected children show physical evidence of rickets, and most display biochemical evidence suggestive of calcium insufficiency. Even while the etiology of rickets in Bangladesh is being elucidated, effective interventions are needed to increase dietary calcium intake and to promote improved bone health to these children.