Florid and subclinical rickets among immigrant children in Glasgow

Lancet. 1976 May 29;1(7970):1141-5. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(76)91538-5.

Abstract

200 Asian 300 African, Chinese, or Scottish children were examined for clinical, biochemical, and radiological evidence of vitamin-D deficiency. Among the Asians there were 10 with florid rickets and 15 with subclinical rickets. Among the African, Chinese, and Scottish children there were no cases of florid rickets and only 7 cases of subclinical rickets (3 African, 3 Chinese, and 1 Scottish). Loss of metaphyseal definition is considered to be the radiological pattern of minimal active rickets and metaphyseal bands to represent the healing stage. Serum 25-hydroxycholecalciferol concentrations were low in clinical and subclinical minimal active rickets although there was some overlap with the wide range found in the "normal" group. Elevated serum-alkaline-phosphatase levels alone should not be regarded as indicating vitamin-D deficiency. The continuing prevalence of rickets in Asian children and in particular among schoolchildren warrants immediate action, which is long overdue.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Comparative Study
  • Controlled Clinical Trial

MeSH terms

  • Africa / ethnology
  • Alkaline Phosphatase / blood
  • Calcium / blood
  • Child
  • Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
  • Child, Preschool
  • Emigration and Immigration
  • Ergocalciferols / administration & dosage
  • Ergocalciferols / therapeutic use
  • Female
  • Hong Kong / ethnology
  • Humans
  • Hydroxycholecalciferols / blood
  • India / ethnology
  • Infant
  • Injections, Intramuscular
  • Male
  • Phosphates / blood
  • Radiography
  • Rickets / blood
  • Rickets / drug therapy
  • Rickets / epidemiology*
  • Scotland
  • Vitamin D / administration & dosage
  • Wrist / diagnostic imaging

Substances

  • Ergocalciferols
  • Hydroxycholecalciferols
  • Phosphates
  • Vitamin D
  • Alkaline Phosphatase
  • Calcium