Vitamin D deficiency rickets in five "at-risk" children

The past few decades have seen a resurgence of vitamin D deficiency rickets in developed countries, particularly in dark-skinned infants who are exclusively breast-fed for a prolonged period without additional vitamin supplements. The re-emergence of vitamin D deficiency is thought to be torial secondary to poor dietary intake, the popularization of breast-feeding and diminished exposure to sunlight.1–6 In an attempt to emphasize this public health problem, especially in the “at-risk” ethnic minority groups, we report five cases with severe rickets referring to our department during a 3-year period.