HOME HEALTH GUIDE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 17, 16 April 1947, Page 3

HOME HEALTH GUIDE

RICKETS (By the Department of Health)

Rickets is a disease that upset countless children until this present century. It used to upset the bony skeleton, mis-shaping it, and alowing bending of bones. The muscles were flabby and toneless. The baby was late in sitting up and walking, and was pot-bellied. The nervous system was disordered, allowing spasms and convulsions. A rickety child was not very resistant, and broncho-pneumonia, bronchitis and diarrhoea were common complications. Altogether rickets was a very nasty disease. But now the piture is changed. We know that the disease is due to a lack of vitamin D, such lack making it impossible to retain enough calcium and phosphorus from food to build bones properly and nourish muscles and nerves and the cells of the body. We are lucky in that we have two natural sources of Vitamin D—our food, and the sunshine playing on our skin, changing ergosterol there into the preventive vitamin. This knowledge has only been applied to the last 30 years. Most of our babies have been given vitaman D supplements, and have been sun bathed from their earliest days. The result—most of our babies escape rickets.

There is still a little rickets found. Not the gross disease of last and previous centuries, but cases with minimal signs. Possibly these happen when mother is careless about her ante-natal diet, for rickets can occur in an unborn baby. It will not happen if mother follows the recommended eating plan and takes fish liver oil or substitute herself. Again some mothers think breastfed infants don’t '•need codliver oil. This is wrong. They should receive a supplement of vitamin D. In toddler years when growth is very rapid, rickets can occur, unless the diet is ample in fatty fish, egg yolk, butter and milk. It is easier to be sure by keeping going the supplement of Vitamin D.

Rickets will stay away for good if expectant mothers, infants and growing children are given vitamin D daily, and sensible sunbathing is done whenever possible. By the way, see that you keep your fish liver oil preparation stored in a cool, dark place.