Patient's question:
My sister's child was diagnosed with rickets, but I originally thought this disease was only detected in adolescents or adults. However, it can also be detected in infants. What factors can cause rickets in infants?Doctor's answer:
First, it is necessary to ask the child in detail about their lack of sunlight exposure and vitamin D deficiency history, especially for newborns and infants aged several months. The mother's history of sunlight exposure, vitamin D and calcium intake during pregnancy, as well as clinical diagnostic symptoms of calcium deficiency, should also be thoroughly inquired about. The gold standard for diagnosing rickets is a careful examination of blood superoxide dismutase and skeletal X-rays, with 25-(OH)D3 being the most reliable indicator, as it changes earliest.