Patient's question:
My child is four years old this year, a girl. She has some pectus excavatum, which should be rickets. She usually wears close-fitting clothes that look like she's licking her little chest, but it's not too serious. It was discovered when she was over one year old, and her chest is more prominent than others. She went to the local hospital twice, including the county hospital, but they said everything was fine. She was seen in the pediatric department, but I've always felt uneasy, thinking they're all incompetent doctors. Even I could see it, but they all said it was nothing. Her calcium test wasn't deficient either, and this has been delayed until now, four years later.Doctor's answer:
The sequelae of rickets primarily manifest in children during their early years, especially those aged around six to twelve months. If there is a lack of vitamin D and calcium and if this deficiency is not addressed promptly, it can easily lead to skeletal deformities such as pigeon chest, hand and foot bracelets, and X or Y-shaped legs. Once skeletal damage occurs, many cases cannot be corrected. Therefore, infants and young children should be given vitamin D and calcium supplements in a timely manner to prevent calcium deficiency from causing skeletal deformities.