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Figures show that hospital admissions for vitamin D and rickets deficiency have increased by a third in just one year.
NHS Digital data, badyzed by the Press Association, show that children under nine were among those admitted to English hospitals for malnutrition and rickets.
Vitamin D is essential for healthy bones and the prevention of rickets. It is often called sun vitamin.
The body can draw its vitamin D from sunlight and its diet, but bad weather in the UK has pushed experts to tell adults and children to take a supplement.
Some 284,901 hospitalizations in 2017-2018 were attributable to "Victorian-era diseases" such as gout, scurvy, vitamin D deficiency and rickets, an increase of 24% over the previous year. 39, previous year.
Of the admissions, 101,136 had a primary or secondary diagnosis of vitamin D deficiency, 34% more than the 75,708 in 2016/17.
In 2017-2018, there were 474 additional admissions for which the primary or secondary reason was rickets, compared to 445 the previous year.
Almost all of these cases were infants, with 322 rickets for children aged nine and under, compared with 324 the previous year.
Eighty other admissions for rickets were recorded in the age group 10 to 19, compared with 67 the year before.
NHS data for 2017/18 also show that a very large number of people – young and old – are hospitalized for malnutrition.
In 2017/18, out of 9,307 people admitted, malnutrition was a major or secondary factor, compared to 8,417 the previous year – 739 with malnutrition as the main cause.
On children aged nine and under, 166 were admitted for primary or secondary malnutrition diagnosis (compared to 143 the previous year).
Among the 10 to 19 year olds, 237 malnutrition admissions were recorded in 2017/18 and 238 in 2016/17.
In the meantime, nine admissions involved children aged nine and under in need of scurvy treatment, compared to four the previous year.
Among all age groups, scurvy was a primary or secondary cause of admission in 167 cases (compared with 128 the previous year).
Dr. Benjamin Jacobs, of the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), said it was important for parents to ensure that their children receive enough vitamin D.
"Vitamin D deficiency can limit growth and increase the risk of rickets or muscle weakness in children.
"As this last badysis shows, hospital admissions due to rickets increase.
"It's disturbing, but there are many ways to remedy that.
"In the short term, parents need to make sure their child receives vitamin D supplementation every day with 400 units of vitamin.
"These can be bought at pharmacies and most supermarkets, but check the dose in the product purchased."
He added that the government should also seriously consider fortifying food and milk with vitamin D, as is happening in several other countries.
"This simple and safe measure will ensure a wider and better coverage of vitamin D and protect the health of many more children without resorting to supplementation," he said.
Public Health England recommends that children 1 to 4 years of age receive a supplement containing 10 micrograms (400 IU) of vitamin daily.
Adults should also consider taking a supplement in the fall and winter.
Professor Louis Levy, head of the science of nutrition at Public Health England, said: "Vitamin D is essential for healthy bones and most of us enjoy enough sun and a lot of sunlight. healthy and balanced diet in summer and spring.
"In autumn and winter, those who do not consume foods naturally containing or fortified with vitamin D should consider an extra 10 micrograms.
"Those who do not expose their skin to the sun may not get enough vitamin D and must take a supplement all year round.
"Ethnic minorities with darker skin may not get enough vitamin D in the summer and should consider taking a supplement throughout the year."
The NHS Digital figures for 2017/18 also show that there were 165,734 admissions in which the patient had a primary or secondary diagnosis of gout, another Victorian-era illness.
This represents an increase of 135,958 the previous year.
While admissions for pertussis declined in 2017/18, there were 27 admissions for cholera (up from 24 the previous year).
There were also 306 mumps (versus 238) and 1,546 for scarlet fever (a 35% increase from 1,146 the previous year).
In 2017/18, 5,331 tuberculosis admissions were recorded, down slightly from the previous year (5,789).
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