Rickets returns to plague Inuit

Last Updated Fri, 29 Jul 2005 13:56:00 EDT

CBC News

Doctors in Nunavut say they're finding children with bone-weakening rickets in the territory.

Rickets, caused by a lack of vitamin D, leads to soft, weak bones and can cause fractures and deformities.

Vitamin D supplements are recommended for breast-fed infants.

• FROM JUNE 17, 2004: Rickets a risk for breast-fed babies in Canada

• FROM APRIL 8, 2004: Vitamin D supplements needed for all children: pediatric society

Dr. Isaac Sobol, Nunavut's chief medical officer, said he's concerned that this rare disorder is showing up in the territory.

"For the past several years, we've seen the occasional case of rickets in infants and young children," he said. "Now rickets is a kind of illness you think was wiped out a long time ago. You hear about it in history books."

In Canada, milk sold in stores has been fortified with vitamin D since the 1970s to prevent problems with rickets.

Our bodies can produce vitamin D when the skin is exposed to sunlight but newborns may not get enough sun during Canadian winters.

The lack of sunlight in Nunavut may be contributing to the cases, Sobol said.

Health officials are now coming up with ways to help prevent the problem, including providing vitamin D supplements.

Rickets can be prevented with a single daily dose of vitamin D, pediatricians say.

For years, the Canadian Pediatric Society has recommended vitamin D supplements for breast-fed babies.