Increase in rickets in UK astonishes doctors
Are UK children spending so much time indoors, in front of screens, that it’s affecting their bone growth? That’s one theory following an proliferation of rickets cases in northern England.
More than 20% of children tested for bone problems in Southampton showed signs of the crippling disease rickets, a health trust has revealed, the BBC reports
Consultant orthopaedic surgeon Prof Nicholas Clarke checked more than 200 of the city’s children for bone problems caused by a lack of vitamin D. He was astonished by the results, which, he said, were "very reminiscent of 17th Century England".
The disease can lead to deformities like bowed legs as well stunted growth. Prof Clarke, based at Southampton General Hospital, said vitamin D supplements should be more widely adopted to halt the rise in cases.
The Department of Health said it would review the evidence.
Image: By Mrich at en.wikipedia [CC-BY-SA-1.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/1.0)], from Wikimedia Commons
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