Vitamin D is an important nutrient for the health and maintenance of bones. It is also important for the functions of the immune system, and for improving muscle strength. Vitamin D is involved in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus from the gut. Those minerals are important for bone formation and repair. Extreme vitamin D deficiency in infants can result in rickets, states MedlinePlus.
Causes
The body synthesizes the active form of vitamin D in the skin, as a result of exposure to direct sunlight. According to the Merck Manuals Online Medical Dictionary, the most common cause of vitamin D deficiency is lack of exposure to sunlight. This tends to occur among people who spend a lot of time indoors, such as institutionalized people, the elderly and in people who keep their bodies covered. Extreme vitamin D deficiency can also occur in people with conditions that prevent them from absorbing vitamin D from foods.
Symptoms
The symptoms of extreme vitamin D deficiency include muscle aches, weakness, and bone pain. Infants with rickets have soft skull bones, abnormal bone growth, and difficulty ambulating. The deficiency affects the growth plates of children with vitamin D deficiency, resulting in bowing of the legs, thickening of the wrists and ankles and bowing of the legs. This leads to delayed growth, pain in the spine and pelvis and an abnormal posture. In adults, extreme vitamin D deficiency can result in pain and weakness of the spine, pelvis and neck bones and can predispose to fractures.
Treatment
Replacing vitamin D, calcium and phosphate helps diminish the symptoms of extreme vitamin D deficiency. This includes increasing consumption of foods high in vitamin D, such as fish, liver and fortified milk and other dairy products. Vitamin D supplements may be needed in those who have problems absorbing the vitamin from the gut. Corrective surgery may be necessary for some skeletal abnormalities.
Complications
If the deficiency is not addressed, skeletal deformities can become permanent. Children fail to grow appropriately and have short stature. Other complications include los blood calcium levels, low phosphate levels and osteomalacia, or softening of the bones in adults, notes the Merck Manuals Online Medical Dictionary.
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