Osteomalacia of the mother--rickets of the newborn.

During the last 4 years we observed four cases of neonatal rickets. The mothers of the infants suffered from osteomalacia for 1-3 years prior to its diagnosis shortly after the birth of their children. All four infants were born with craniotabes, and one infant had, in addition, a radial fracture. The diagnoses were confirmed by radiological and laboratory tests which revealed a rarefied bone structure, decreased serum 25-hydroxy-vitamin D and increased alkaline phosphatase levels in all patients. The disorder regressed under low-dose vitamin D3 therapy. As osteomalacia seems to be predominant in oriental women living in Berlin, it is necessary to consider vitamin D deficiency when clinical symptoms of this disease arise and to treat these women at least during pregnancy.