Final answer:
Rickets is a bone disorder seen in children due to vitamin D deficiency, leading to poor bone mineralization and deformities. Vitamin D facilitates calcium absorption, crucial for bone health, and can be acquired through diet and sunlight exposure. Prevention includes ensuring adequate vitamin D levels through dietary sources or sunlight.
Step-by-step explanation:
Rickets is a disease often seen in children, which results from a vitamin D deficiency. It can cause severe bone deformities due to the poor mineralization of bone tissue. Vitamin D is crucial because it enhances the intestinal absorption of calcium and phosphate, which are vital minerals for healthy bone formation.
Children with rickets may have low serum phosphate levels, typically between 1 to 2 mg/100 ml, indicating faulty calcification of their bones. Besides inadequate dietary intake, a lack of sufficient sunlight exposure can also contribute to vitamin D deficiency since the skin has the ability to produce vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. Even in colder climates, a small amount of sunlight can help prevent rickets.
The symptoms of rickets include bone pain, muscle weakness, and skeletal deformities such as bowed legs. In addition to rickets, vitamin D deficiency can lead to osteomalacia in adults, a condition characterized by softened bones. Ensuring adequate intake of vitamin D through diet or supplements, along with proper sun exposure, is essential for preventing these health issues.