A recent study that proves that many young children are not receiving enough Vitamin D is particularly troubling for doctors.
A study that was performed in Boston at the Children’s Hospital has revealed that as many as 12 percent of toddlers and infants in the United States are not receiving enough Vitamin D.
It is also believed that as much as 40 percent of children also are below the optimal levels that should be found in children of this age group.
These new findings are to be published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, in the June 2008 issue. The study also revealed that 1/3 of children that lacked these vitamins also suffer from low bone density.
Low bone density can cause bones to be brittle and fracture or break easily, as well as leading to the disease Ricketts.
While there were not a lot of actual cases of rickets found in the study there were a large number of children that did show low bone densities, and the vitamin deficiencies.
“This is something that all doctors and health officials need to take notice of and be concerned with,” said study co-author Dr. Catherine Gordon.
Dr. Gordon is also the director of the Children’s Hospital of Boston Bone Health Program.