Rickets among children of a coastal area of Bangladesh.

Many children with rachitic deformities have been reported in southern coastal area of Bangladesh but the actual rate of prevalence was not known. A survey was conducted to determine the magnitude of rachitic problem among the children of Chakaria thana of Cox's Bazar district of Bangladesh. Nine hundred children between 1-15 years selected randomly from 30 villages of total 340 villages. Face to face interview of the parents was taken and the children were examined for evidences of rickets. Serum calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were estimated and radiology of limbs were done in all clinically suspected cases and in a control of every eighth child. Seventy eight children (8.7%) had physical features suggestive of rickets. Fifty eight (6.4%) children had 'clinical rickekts' (positive physical feature(s) but normal ALP and negative radiology), 12 (1.3%) children had 'biochemical rickets' (positive physical features and raised ALP but negative radiology) and 8 (0.9%) children had 'confirmed rickets' (positive physical features, raised ALP and positive radiology). Out of 78 children with rachitic feature(s), Pectus carinatum was found as the most common clinical feature in 26 (33.3%) children followed by genu valgum in 23 (29.4%) cases. Twenty two normal children (2.2%) had raised level of ALP (>300U/L). The prevalence of rickets is high in children of Chakaria and further study is needed to find out the exact aetiology of rickets in children there.