Summary
The existence of nutritional deficiency rickets among infants in sunny Riyadh was confirmed radiologically. Most of the rachitic infants were breast-fed, some received unsupplemented infant feeding formulae, and all live in an environment that is devoid of sunlight. Their mean age at the time of onset was 10.5 months. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels were found to be low in mothers of the rachitic infants. This maternal deficiency as a factor in pathogenesis of rickets in the infant is discussed. Proposals are made to prevent the occurrence of rickets on this scale.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Elidrissy ATH, Taha SA (1980) Rickets in Riyadh. Proceeding of 5th Saudi Medical Meeting 409–418
Belton NR, Elidrissy ATH, Gaefer TH, Aldrees A, El-Swailem AR, Forfar JO, Barr DGD (1982) Maternal vitamin D deficiency as a factor in the pathogenesis of rickets in Saudi Arabia. In: Norman AW (ed) Biochemical and clinical endocrinology of calcium metabolism. Walter de Gruyler, Berlin, New York 735–737
Elidrissy ATH, Serinius F, El-Swailem AR, Dandona P (1983) Perinatal vitamin D and its relation to infantile rickets. Symposium Clinical Disorders of Calcium Metabolism (abstract), Detroit
Edelstein S, Charmoan M, Lawson DEM, Kodicek E (1974) Competitive binding assay for 25-hydroxycholecalciferol. Clin Sci Mol Med 46:231–236
Woodhouse NJY, Norton WL (1982) Low vitamin D levels in Saudi Arabians. King Faisal Specialist Hospital Medical Journal 2(3) 127–131
Harrison HE, Harrison HC (1979) Hypocalcaemic states in disorders of calcium and phosphate metabolism in childhood and adolescence. WB Saunders, Philadelphia p 89
Moncrief M, Fedahursi T (1974) Congenital rickets due to maternal vitamin D deficiency. Arch Dis Child 49:810–811
Ford JA, Davidson DC, McIntosh WB, Fyfe WM, Dunningan MG (1973) Neonatal rickets in Asian immigrant population. Br Med J 3:211–212
Heckmatt JO, Peacock M, Davies AE, McMurray J, Isherwood DM (1979) Plasma 25 hydroxyvitamin D in pregnant Asian women and their babies. Lancet 3:546–549
Greer FR, Ho M, Dodson D, Tsang RC (1981) Lack of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D in human milk. J Pediatr 99:2:233–235
Lakdowala DR, Widdowson EM (1977) Vitamin D in human milk. Lancet 167–168
Finberg L (1981) Human milk feeding and Vitamin D supplementation. J Pediatr 99:2:228–229
Greer FR, Reave LE, Chesney RW, De Luca HF (1982) Water-soluble vitamin D in human milk: a myth. Pediatrics 69:2:238
Lawson DEM (1980) Metabolism of vitamin in vitamin D molecular biology and clinical nutrition. AW Norman Mercel Dekker, p 101
Birkbeck JA, Scott HF 25-hydroxycholecalciferol serum levels in breast-fed infants. Arch Dis Child 55:691–695
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Elidrissy, A.T.H., Sedrani, S.H. & Lawson, D.E.M. Vitamin D deficiency in mothers of rachitic infants. Calcif Tissue Int 36, 266–268 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02405328
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02405328