VICTIM: A rickets sufferer shows the effect the condition can have on a young child
VITAMIN supplements are being introduced in Blackburn with Darwen after 56 cases of rickets have been revealed.
The amount of people afflicted with the vitamin D deficiency, which causes bone softening in very young children and was linked to poverty in the 1930s, was discovered in a study commissioned by East Lancashire Primary Care Trust.
Blackburn with Darwen PCT is now set to introduce free vitamin D supplements for all young children and pregnant women in early 2008, bringing it into line with other areas across East Lancashire.
At the moment, only a minority of PCTs give out free supplements, but almost all health visitors recommend them to Asian families.
Almost all the 56 cases found between 2003 and 2005 were in Blackburn with Darwen's South Asian community.
Just 14 cases were found in the Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale area, where supplements are provided.
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Experts said vitamin D, which is unique in being produced primarily by exposure to sunlight, was a relatively common deficiency among Asian immigrants, because of their darker skin, and Islam's requirements for clothing to cover limbs.
Until about 10 years ago, Government policy required that all health authorities gave out vitamin supplements to people from the Indian subcontinent, but then it was decided that it was no longer necessary.
Blackburn with Darwen's PCT, along with many around the country, stopped giving them out, but the practice continued in Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale.
Dr Ellis Friedman, director of public health for East Lancashire PCT, said: "Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale was unusual in continuing with it, but it led to a natural experiment.
"When my directorate looked to see what had happened to the incidence of rickets, we found it was four times higher in Blackburn and Darwen. We cannot of course be absolutely certain why, but it seems very likely that it is because of the vitamin policy."
Dr Friedman said the problem was linked to cultural factors, not deprivation.
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He said: "Once you exclude a number of vary rare cases where there is some other underlying condition, virtually every case is someone from the Asian community.
"It is caused by a combination of skin colouration, diet and dress, not poverty. We don't, for example, find rickets in deprived white communities."
Dr Friedman said that some other areas of the country had similar findings.
But he said: "It is something we had thought would be a disease of the past, but what we are finding now is very early-stage cases identified before symptoms appear.
"Introducing the supplements is expected to mean a great improvement."
A spokesman for Blackburn with Darwen PCT said the problem had not been identified before the study was undertaken, which is why supplements had previously not been introduced.
He said: "This has been brought to attention by our clinicians and we are now working with them to get maximum impact in terms of how we deliver the service.
"We will have universal coverage for all young children and ante-natal, introduced at the beginning of next year.
"The PCT is committed to providing the best quality healthcare to all our population and as part of that we recognise that giving vitamin D supplements will provide better health and specifically address rickets.
"To that end, we have already agreed to invest in vitamin D."
But Councillor Roy Davies, chairman of Blackburn with Darwen Council's health scrutiny committee, said Asian women should think about the health risks of covering up, particularly during pregnancy.
He said: "The Asian community must take this on board. We want people to live longer and more healthily.
"It is up to the Asian councillors and the Imams to get the message through, because it will be most effective coming from them."
He added that the PCT should do as much as it could to campaign for healthier lifestyles and prevent people becoming ill.
Posted by: God, 7th Heaven on 11:07am Mon 29 Oct 07
Can't believe it! They say, when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
Well I did - and look what happened to me.
I came down to Earth and took on a human form - tried to correct the wrongdoers by guiding them towards the righteous way.
Talk about good intentions not always having the right results - they hung me from a cross! Despicable!
I scarpered! Not going back down there in a rush!
Have to think of another plan... Baldrick!
Can't believe it! They say, when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
Well I did - and look what happened to me.
I came down to Earth and took on a human form - tried to correct the wrongdoers by guiding them towards the righteous way.
Talk about good intentions not always having the right results - they hung me from a cross! Despicable!
Posted by: adam, blackburn on 6:35pm Mon 29 Oct 07
"Experts said vitamin D, which is unique in being produced primarily by exposure to sunlight, was a relatively common deficiency among Asian immigrants, because of their darker skin, and Islam's requirements for clothing to cover limbs"
As a matter of fact in Islam children arent required to cover they bodies anyway until they reach puberty.Obviously with the weather we have here its cold anyway.If they are immigrants then like I said Im sure they would gain enough Vitamin D until they reached puberty.
"Experts said vitamin D, which is unique in being produced primarily by exposure to sunlight, was a relatively common deficiency among Asian immigrants, because of their darker skin, and Islam's requirements for clothing to cover limbs"
As a matter of fact in Islam children arent required to cover they bodies anyway until they reach puberty.Obviously with the weather we have here its cold anyway.If they are immigrants then like I said Im sure they would gain enough Vitamin D until they reached puberty.
Posted by: Beyonce Knowles, Hollywood on 7:00pm Mon 29 Oct 07
Its a fact that white people are more at risk from skin cancer than their darker, sexier counterparts due to their high and recklace exposure to sunlight.
Darker people have to put up with some rickets by choosing to cover up more.
Damned if you do and damned if you dont.
Its a fact that white people are more at risk from skin cancer than their darker, sexier counterparts due to their high and recklace exposure to sunlight.
Darker people have to put up with some rickets by choosing to cover up more.
Posted by: Dr. Death, Blackburn on 10:39am Tue 30 Oct 07
As for our National Health Service being drained their is a simple solution:- if you don't pay into it you don't get treatment. Those not contributing to the NHS should be made to go private.
As for our National Health Service being drained their is a simple solution:- if you don't pay into it you don't get treatment. Those not contributing to the NHS should be made to go private.
Posted by: jenny, east lancs on 9:45pm Tue 30 Oct 07
Some 30 years ago I bought vitamin A, C and D drops from my local child clinic. At that time they cost about 5 pence for a small bottle and each day a drop was added to the baby's milk. Is this not the case any more? Like the article says it is not a matter of poverty, but perhaps a matter of educating parents on how to adequately nourish their children with the necessary vitimins.
Some 30 years ago I bought vitamin A, C and D drops from my local child clinic. At that time they cost about 5 pence for a small bottle and each day a drop was added to the baby's milk. Is this not the case any more? Like the article says it is not a matter of poverty, but perhaps a matter of educating parents on how to adequately nourish their children with the necessary vitimins.
Posted by: amna, blackburn on 5:11pm Wed 31 Oct 07
This is supposed to be a health debate not another excuse to have a go at someone's religion anna doe - a religion you obviously do not understand. 'Asian' does not just mean muslim they could be hindu, sikh or even Christian. Fair skinned people are more at risk of skin cancer because of over exposure - is this something to do with religion too? Why do the knives always come out at any opportunity?
This is supposed to be a health debate not another excuse to have a go at someone's religion anna doe - a religion you obviously do not understand. 'Asian' does not just mean muslim they could be hindu, sikh or even Christian. Fair skinned people are more at risk of skin cancer because of over exposure - is this something to do with religion too? Why do the knives always come out at any opportunity?
Posted by: Anna Doe, Canada on 1:13am Sun 4 Nov 07
Thank you Amna or the dhimmi at The Citizen to have censured my post. Well isn't it nice? Non-muslims countries begin to look like Saudia Barbaria where free speech doesn't exist... Dear Amna, I don't believe in fairy tales but you dear believe that islam is the true religion and allah the true god. Tell me why allah didn't know about the necessity to have skin exposed longly to the sun for those with dark skin? Why did he asked the muslimas to be veiled and therefore to get sick? Why do you see what i write as a crime. If islam was really the true religion, you shouldn't have any problem to refute me. But you don't, you just shut my mouth. Like women's mouth were shut for 1450 years in muslim countries until the west came to change that a bit or until you emigrate to our free countries with the sole goal of spreading islam. [bold]I am sorry you feel attacked, you shouldn't, my problem is with islam, not you: I wordy fight islam because islam allows paedophily[/bold] (mohamed married a 6 years old girl and raped her when she was 8 years 9 months old). You see I am a mother and this just make me fear the day you will rule us. What a shame, to see a woman follow a religion that could turn a work colleague or a neighbor into a sex slave should Islam ever take over or worst turn all our children to child bride like in muslim countries.
Thank you Amna or the dhimmi at The Citizen to have censured my post. Well isn't it nice? Non-muslims countries begin to look like Saudia Barbaria where free speech doesn't exist... Dear Amna, I don't believe in fairy tales but you dear believe that islam is the true religion and allah the true god. Tell me why allah didn't know about the necessity to have skin exposed longly to the sun for those with dark skin? Why did he asked the muslimas to be veiled and therefore to get sick? Why do you see what i write as a crime. If islam was really the true religion, you shouldn't have any problem to refute me. But you don't, you just shut my mouth. Like women's mouth were shut for 1450 years in muslim countries until the west came to change that a bit or until you emigrate to our free countries with the sole goal of spreading islam. I am sorry you feel attacked, you shouldn't, my problem is with islam, not you: I wordy fight islam because islam allows paedophily (mohamed married a 6 years old girl and raped her when she was 8 years 9 months old). You see I am a mother and this just make me fear the day you will rule us. What a shame, to see a woman follow a religion that could turn a work colleague or a neighbor into a sex slave should Islam ever take over or worst turn all our children to child bride like in muslim countries.
Posted by: Umar Rahman, birmingham on 4:00pm Wed 7 Nov 07
Hello,
I just want to mention, my daughter at 4 months had a bone disorder,may be brittle bones or rickets. Docters said we need to moniter every six months on her development.At 18 months she has a arm rib and a skull fracture. Now authorities are involved and are saying that these fractures are deliberate (nai).
My other 4 boys, no internal bony injuries on them, however all 5 children are going to get adopted. What kind of system does this country has.
It makes me sick for 2.5 years I have cooperated with all professionals but it appears that they are all baised and as long as they paid hadsomely,nobody cares.
Hello,
I just want to mention, my daughter at 4 months had a bone disorder,may be brittle bones or rickets. Docters said we need to moniter every six months on her development.At 18 months she has a arm rib and a skull fracture. Now authorities are involved and are saying that these fractures are deliberate (nai).
My other 4 boys, no internal bony injuries on them, however all 5 children are going to get adopted. What kind of system does this country has.
It makes me sick for 2.5 years I have cooperated with all professionals but it appears that they are all baised and as long as they paid hadsomely,nobody cares.
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