Children need sunshine as well as a healthy diet!

he bone disease rickets could be affecting more than a fifth of children, medics have warned.

Researchers at Southampton General Hospital checked more than 200 local children for signs of bone problems caused by a lack of vitamin D.

Professor Nicholas Clarke, consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the hospital, and colleague Dr Justin Davies, a consultant paediatric endocrinologist, found that more than 20 per cent of the youngsters were affected – a discovery Professor Clarke admits was ‘astonishing’.

Rickets is caused by a deficiency in vitamin D and is becoming more common as a result of children eating a poor diet and not getting enough sunlight.

Commenting on the findings, Professor Clarke said: ‘In my 22 years at Southampton General Hospital, this is a completely new occurrence in the south that has evolved over the last 12 to 24 months.’

The professor revealed that the problem is affecting children from all socioeconomic backgrounds, despite the fact that the disease was once associated with poverty.