Children who are constantly protected from the sun could risk getting rickets

Although a certain amount of vitamin D is needed in the body, the rising fear of getting skin cancer means that most mums and dads try their best to keep their little ones away from the sun.

 

But, experts are saying that this obsession could be the reason why there has been an upsurge in children diagnosed with rickets, a disease caused by vitamin D deficiency.

 

Other reasons for the rise include children spending less time playing outdoors and more time on computer games, kids being driven to school and changes in diet.

 

Figures from the NHS showed that 833 UK children were diagnosed with the disease between 2012 and 2013, compared with just 190 kids ten years ago.

 

Gillian Killiner, a spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association, said: “Now it is on the rise again partly because of a change in the quality of our diet and partly because of our aversion to sunlight, which has been caused by our justifiable concerns about skin cancer.”

 

She says that children born from mums already low in vitamin D are hugely at risk and might not have any way of boosting up levels.

 

It is advised that kids between the age of 6 months and 5 years take their supplements to prevent health issues later in the future.