Prevalence of nutritional rickets among children presenting to sam hospital in Sana,a city, Yemen

Abstract EN

Objective: to study the prevalence, treatment and prevention of nutritional rickets among children presenting to Sam hospital in Sana’a city. Methods: Record-based descriptive study was done in Sam hospital in Sana’a city during one year from 1 May 2007 to 31 April 2008.

Out of 10800 patients seen for different causes through that period, 114 (1.05%) had one or more symptoms and/or signs of rickets such as wide fontanel, delayed teething, rosary rickets, bow legs...etc.

Those patients subjected to radiological investigations (wrist X-ray), and few of them to laboratory investigations (alkaline phosphatase, calcium and phosphorus).

Data about age and sex were also collected. Results: Age group of the patients was 0-3 years.

Total patients were 10800, (6060 males, 4740 females).

Patients who had one or more symptoms and / or signs of rickets were 114 (1.05%) (78 males, 36 females), of those 80 (70.2%) confirmed diagnoses as rickets by radiological, and laboratory investigations.

Thirty two patients out of 88 were in age group between 6-12 months, in addition to 32 patients in age group between 1-1.5 years. Conclusions: the majority of the patients were males, the prevalence of nutritional rickets was very high, common in age 6-18 months.

It is a common problem among children in Sana’a city, hence immediate treatment, by sufficient dose of vitamin D and calcium, while prevention is throughout encouragement of mothers, children and infants to exposed to sunlight and to take diet rich in vitamin D and calcium.