Abstract:

Objective: Nutritional rickets is a major public health problem throughout the world. Although vitamin D supplementation program has been applied in our country, it is still an important health problem. Accordingly, this study aims to determine clinical, laboratory and radiological characteristics of 14 patients with nutritional rickets followed by the endocrinology clinic between 2011 and 2015.Material and Methods: Fourteen patients who diagnosis with nutritional rickets in Dr. Sami Ulus Obstetrics and Gynecology, Children’s Health and Disease Training and Research Hospital Peadiatric Endocrine Clinic between 20112015 were evaluated.Results: The mean age of the fourteen cases with nutritional rickets was 14.3 ± 7.3 months. Nine (64%) of the patients were male and five (36%) were female. Vitamin D prophylaxis had never been used in 6 patients whereas it has been used irregularly in 6 patients. Additionally, five patients had hypocalcemia and 8 patients had hypophosphatemia. Alkaline phosphatase and parathyroid hormone levels were higher than normal levels in all cases. In all patients except for one, 25 (OH) vitamin D levels were below 20 ng/mL. Wrist radiographs of all patients had irregular metaphyseal distal radius and ulna irregularity and cupping. Six patients were treated with stoss therapy, 7 patients were treated with longterm vitamin D. One patient refused treatment. After treatment all cases showed clinical and radiological improvement.conclusion: Although vitamin D prophylaxis had been recommended to our patients, we still observed nutritional rickets. This is due to the fact that a significant proportion of our patients did not use vitamin D completely or used it irregularly. Therefore, improving compliance with the vitamin D supplementation program in infancy is essential for the prevention of nutritional rickets

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