What is Rickets?
Rickets is caused by a deficiency of Vitamin D, which is the Vitamin needed to make healthy and strong bones. We get Vitamin D from;
- Sunlight (about 90%)
- Eggs, oily fish, margarine and some breakfast cereals. (About 10%)
Vitamin D is important for everyone, but especially for ;
- Children under five,
- Mothers while they are pregnant and until their child is 1yr old.
Why is it so important for these groups?
- Children’s bones are growing very quickly when they are little and they need this vitamin for healthy bone growth.
- Mums need it because their bodies are designed to give their babies this vitamin while they are growing inside them, so they need to replace it for their own good health.
You may be able to get FREE Healthy Start supplements, which contain the Vitamin D you need if;
You are eligible for the Healthy Start Scheme (visit www.healthystart.nhs.uk for more information) or
You are a patient of the Heart of Birmingham Primary Care Trust (ask your Midwife or Health Visitor)
Everyone, but especially growing children and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
What happens if we don’t get enough?
Vitamin D is important for bone development. In children without enough vitamin D, bones can become curved. This is known as rickets. In adults, lack of vitamin D causes painful softening of the bones (osteomalacia). Rickets affects young, growing children and can slow their walking and development. It is a disease which may need hospital treatment. If pregnant women don’t have enough vitamin D in their bodies, their babies are born with low levels of this important vitamin and this can cause them, in some cases, to have fits.
So where do we get vitamin D from?
Vitamin D is formed in the body by sunlight acting on exposed skin. For many months of the year, we don’t get much sunshine in the UK and we tend to cover up because of the cold. That means we need to get Vitamin D in other ways. Your local Primary Care Trust (Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT) is making sure that all children under five, pregnant women and breastfeeding women are getting enough vitamin D by providing vitamin supplements free of charge.
How do I get these supplements?
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, your midwife or health visitor will give them to you. You will need to take one tablet a day of Healthy Start Vitamins for Women. These contain vitamin D, folic acid and vitamin C. Once you get these you can stop any other folic acid that you are taking.
When your baby is born your health visitor will give you infant vitamin drops (called ‘Healthy Start Children’s Vitamin Drops’) for your baby. You need to continue giving these drops to your child until the age of five. You can get them free of charge from the health visitor or directly from your nearest health centre (see list below). They contain other vitamins too, which is useful if your child has phases of not eating well.
Please remember to take your child’s red book.
Please note:
Healthy Start Children’s Vitamin drops are formulated for children and should not be taken by adults. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should take a different vitamin supplement called Healthy Start Vitamins for Women.
What else should I do to make sure I get enough vitamin D?
Make sure that you are exposed to the sun (without burning) for a short time each day. This can be while you are walking to the shops, or taking the children to school. If you don’t expose your face and arms in public, try to sit outside in a private place like a balcony or back garden for a short time each day. If we do this during the summer months the body will store some vitamin D. People who never go outside, perhaps because of disability, need a vitamin D supplement.
Vitamin D is found in small amounts in some foods, for example eggs, oily fish (once a week), margarine, and some breakfast cereals (check the label). It is a good thing to include these foods in your diet throughout life. However for children under five, pregnant or breastfeeding women, supplements are recommended to prevent rickets.
Avoid rickets by:
- Giving Healthy Start Children’s Vitamin Drops to your children until they reach age five
- Taking your Healthy Start Vitamins for women in pregnancy and while breast feeding
- Making sure you get some sunlight on your and your children’s skins whilst taking care not to get sunburnt
- Eating foods with vitamin D in them ie eggs, margarine, oily fish, and breakfast cereals with vitamin D added
Summary
How to get vitamin drops for your baby
Your health visitor will give you the first bottle of Healthy Start Children’s Vitamin Drops for your baby at the primary visit (usually when your child is around two weeks old)
Further bottles can be obtained from your nearest health centre (see list below)
When you visit the health centre please bring with you:
You can obtain your Healthy Start supplements for women and children from your local Children's Centre or from the following Health Centres:
Aston Health Centre
175 Trinity Road, Aston, Birmingham, B6 6JA
0121 465 3526
Balsall Health Centre
Edward Road, Balsall Heath, Birmingham, B12 9LP
0121 446 2300
Bloomsbury Health Centre
63 Rupert Street, Nechells, Birmingham, B7 5DT
0121 465 3607
Broadway Health Centre (mornings only)
Cope Street, Ladywood, Birmingham, B18 7BA
0121 250 6126
Colston Health Centre
10 Bath Row, Ladywood, Birmingham, B15 1LZ
0121 465 3957
Farm Road Health Centre
32 Farm Road, Sparkbrook, Birmingham, B11 1LS
0121 465 4050
Greet Community Clinic
50 Percy Road, Sparkhill, Birmingham, B11 3ND
0121 766 5550 (Health Visitor)
0121 465 4908
Heathfield Family Centre
131-133 Heathfield Rd, Handsworth, Birmingham, B19 1HL
0121 465 4109
Lansdowne Health Centre
34 Lansdowne Street, Winson Green, Birmingham, B18 7EE
0121 465 4259
Laurie Pike Health Centre
2 Fentham Road, Aston, Birmingham, B6 6BB
0121 551 3570
Newtown Health Centre
171 Melbourne Avenue, Newtown, Birmingham, B19 2JA
0121 465 4353
Small Heath Health Centre
42 Chapman Road, Small Heath, Birmingham, B10 0PG
0121 465 4400
Soho Health Centre
Louise Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, B21 0RY
0121 465 4450
Sparkhill Health Centre
858 Stratford Road, Sparkhill, Birmingham, B11 4BS
0121 777 7575
Tower Hill Medical Centre
25 Tower Hill, Great Barr, B42 1LG
0121 465 5500
For more information please visit
www.hobtpct.nhs.uk
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