What is rickets, what causes the condition, how can I prevent Vitamin D deficiency and is there a cure?
With one in five Brits now lacking this essential vitamin - could your kids be at risk of rickets?
RICKETS is a condition normally associated with the Victorian era.
But cases of rickets, gout, syphilis and scarlet fever are on the rise in Britain - with financial inequality and bad diets thought to be to blame. Here's everything you need to know about rickets, and how to keep your kids' bones healthy...
What is rickets?
Rickets is a condition which affects bone development in children.
It causes the bones to become soft and weak, which can lead to deformity and poor growth.
Common skeletal deformities include bowed legs, curved spines and thickened ankles, wrists and knees.
Kids with rickets are also more likely to fracture their bones.
Warning signs include painful bones, a child waddling instead of walking, skeletal deformities, dental problems, poor growth and development, and fragile bones.
What causes rickets?
Rickets is normally caused by a lack of vitamin D or calcium.
The best source of vitamin D is to get outside and enjoy the sun, but it's also found in some oily fish, egg yolks and cheese.
While orange juice and cereals are often fortified with both vitamin D and calcium.
Other sources of calcium include dairy products, leafy greens such as kale and spinach, some fish, soybeans and white beans.
In rare cases, babies can be born with rickets.
Why is vitamin D deficiency on the rise?
One doctor recently warned that a generation of 'stay-indoors teenagers' are putting themselves at risk of bone and heart disease because they're not getting enough sunlight.
One in five Birts are now vitamin D deficient, with doctors advising us to take supplements during the long winter months.
From late March to the end of September, most Brits should get all the vitamin D they need from sunlight.
However, people with dark skin need more sun exposure to see the same effect.
Babies need 8.5-10mg of vitamin D-a-day and, from the age of one, we all need 10mg-a-day.
The history of rickets
Seen as a Victorian disease, rickets was common in the past but all but disappeared from the western world in the early 20th century.
However, in recent years, there's been a rise in the cases of rickets in the UK.
The 2009/10 to 2015/16 figures show rickets cases soared from 675 to 937.
While vitamin D deficiency is on the rise because we don't get outside enough, and because of bad diets.
Is there a cure for rickets?
For most kids, rickets can be treated by making sure they increase their calcium and vitamin D levels - either with a change of diet or supplements.
There are also yearly vitamin D injections available for kids who have problems absorbing vitamins and minerals.
Some families are eligible for free vitamin supplements on the government's .
It is available to people who are on benefits, jobseeker's allowance, or under 18 - and either pregnant or have a child under the age of four.
