The efficacy of oral versus parentral vitamin D in treatment of nutritional rickets

Abstract

Rickets is the most common form of metabolic bone disease in children. Vitamin D deficiency rickets is clearly a problem in breast-fed infants who do not receive enough vitamin D or adequate sunshine exposure. The study was carried out on 30 patients who had clinical evidence of rickets. Patients were divided into three equal groups. Group A received 600,000U IM once; group B received 20,000U IM three times a week for two weeks and group C received 2000U/day orally for a month. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of different doses of ergocalciferol on serum calcium, phosphorous and alkaline phosphatase. Results show that the serum alkaline phosphatase concentration significantly decreased more in the group B compared to group A and group B (p=0.013 and p=0.001, respectively). Patients who received the intramuscular dose responded promptly, whereas infants who received the oral dosages had less response. [Med-Science 2012; 1(4.000): 244-53]

Keywords

• 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D; 25-hydroxyvitamin D; rickets ; vitamin D; vitamin D-dependent rickets