Signs that a child has a vitamin D deficiency

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by:
Master, Doctor Ma Van Tham - Pediatrician - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Phu Quoc International General Hospital. Doctor Tham used to work for a long time at Thai Nguyen Central Hospital. His strength is examination and treatment of diseases such as respiratory, digestive, nutrition, neonatal emergency.
Doctor Nguyen Thai Ngoc Chau - Neonatologist - Pediatrics - Neonatology Department - Vinmec Phu Quoc International General Hospital. Dr. Chau has 09 years of experience in the field of Pediatrics - Neonatology, regularly participates in training courses on child nutrition, pediatric emergency resuscitation, pediatric pathology treatment and these are also strengths. uncle's.
Vitamin D plays a very important role in the formation of bone structure, especially in children. Because of such an important role, children need to be supplemented with vitamin D. So what are the signs that children are deficient in vitamin D?

1. The role of vitamin D

For the human body in general, vitamin D plays an important role in the absorption and distribution of calcium and phosphorus, directly affecting the formation of bone structures. Adequate supply of vitamin D to the body will help calcium and phosphorus be firmly attached in bone tissues and regulate the homeostasis of calcium and phosphorus in the human body.
For children in particular, vitamin D deficiency causes rickets. The lack of calcium will cause increased catabolism of vitamin D.

2. Signs of vitamin D deficiency in children

2.1. Early signs

Initially, the signs of vitamin D deficiency in infants will start in the nervous system. Children cry a lot, have trouble sleeping and can't sleep for long. Children can often startle when sleeping due to the nervous system being stimulated.
Children with vitamin D deficiency often sweat at night even when it's not hot. Vitamin D deficiency also causes physical retardation, lax muscles, pale skin, and enlarged spleen.

2.2. Late sign

These are signs of vitamin D deficiency in the bones and these signs can appear in different parts depending on the age and severity of the disease:
Children grow slowly, teeth grow unevenly. Children are slow to walk and crawl. Children with vitamin D deficiency also have wide fontanelles, soft and long-lasting fontanelles. Vitamin D deficiency also causes skull deformity, flat head, soft skull, when pressed, it becomes concave and returns to normal if the hand is lifted. The head of the wrist bone is enlarged at the "wrist" wall. Deformed ribs and rib cage, scoliosis and bow legs are also signs of vitamin D deficiency. If severe, the child may have convulsions due to low calcium in the blood. Rickets is the primary disease in young children, can see the children's legs are deformed and slow in physical development. Bone deformities in childhood will cause sequelae for later adulthood such as hunchback, curvature and narrowing of the pelvis.

3. Solution to prevent vitamin D deficiency in children