Rickets is a disease in which bones become soft and fragile. These soft and fragile bones break easily, if they experience a stress or strain. Thus, it is a serious disease and can cause a lot of trouble. It occurs during childhood and generally between the ages of 6 to 24 months.

Rickets occurs due to deficiency of vitamin D. However, more than just a deficiency disease, in some cases it is also hereditary. In rickets the bones of the patients are unable to absorb calcium and phosphorous. These are the nutrients, which provide strength to bones. This inability to absorb these nutrients makes the bones weak and fragile. For this reason, the bones are prone to break even when they face some strain or stress. Therefore, the people with rickets are not able to activities as sports, jumping, running, etc.

Rickets also affects the shape and size of bones. Therefore, if a child develops rickets then some parts of the body as legs hand, ribs, etc, may appear deformed. Such a child can also experience frequent fractures. If any of these symptoms are seen in the child, it is necessary to have a medical examination, as there is a possibility that the child may have developed rickets.
The methods as blood tests and X-rays are used for diagnosis of rickets.

Rickets can be treaded according to the reasons because of which it has developed. This is important, as until the reason is not cured rickets is not going to be cured. If to has occurred due to deficiency of vitamin D the doctor will just advice supplements of vitamin D, calcium and phosphorous. If rickets has occurred due to deficiency then it is quite easy to cure it. Ideally, it would take a time of around 1 week.

Alternatively, if hereditary were the cause of rickets then the treatment would be complex. In such cases, doctors who specialize in rickets should be consulted.

It is better to prevent rickets rather than treat it after development. For this you should always provide your child the food containing good amount of vitamin D calcium and phosphorous. If any of the parents or their relatives have had rickets the child should be examined whether he has developed rickets or not. It is very important to treat rickets right in the beginning itself if the parents want to prevent the uncorrectable abnormal growth of bones.