| Theme |
Pediatric bone : From fetus to adolescent |
| Title |
Vitamin D-related bone diseases in children |
| Author |
Sachiko Kitanaka |
Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, the University of Tokyo |
| [ Summary ] |
Humans obtain vitamin D either by diet or by sunlight exposure. Vitamin D is converted to its active form after going through two hydroxylation steps. A deficiency of vitamin D action in children or infants results in rickets and hypocalcemia. The main causes of vitamin D related rickets are vitamin D deficiency and congenital diseases of vitamin D dependency. This review summarizes the etiology, diagnosis, and management of these vitamin D-related diseases. |