KOCHI: Last week, I got a call about a four-year-old boy who stopped walking gradually during the last month. For around two months, he had been complaining of leg pain with a more awkward gait. Soon, he developed viral diarrhoea. Following recovery, his pain worsened to the point where he seemed unable to bear his weight.
Lying down with his knees bent, he seemed pleasant as long as no one touched him or examined him. But when we get any closer, he would cry out in pain. Several tests couldn’t confirm if the problem was related to nerve compression from the spine, inflammation of his muscles or a disease of the bone marrow.
An MRI scan was being planned, but that is when I realised something. I inquired about his diet and found out that it was highly deficient in vegetables and fruits. I requested an X-ray of his knees and the problem revealed itself — Vitamin C deficiency.
C is an essential vitamin, one our bodies can’t synthesise. Humans and Guinea pigs are the two species that cannot synthesise Vitamin C. So our daily requirement has to come from our diet.
Historically, sailors who set out for long sea voyages were vulnerable to developing Vitamin C deficiency when they run out of fresh fruit and vegetables after a few days in the sea. Soon, they will begin to manifest symptoms of scurvy, which has claimed many seamen’s lives.
Vitamin C is an important component of collagen — the protein that is ubiquitous in all the support tissues in the body. It is an antioxidant, and assists in the absorption of iron and copper besides other vital functions. When the body is deficient in Vitamin C, the supporting tissues get weak, causing pain and difficulty in weight-bearing. Bleeding and bruising occur after.
The treatment of scurvy is done using Vitamin C. But diet correction is as important. Over the last five years, I have diagnosed scurvy in 10 children between three and 14 years of age.
They practised food faddism, restricted diets, developmental disorders like autism and other psychological disorders. All 10 children recovered completely. Treatment was backed with psychological counselling to eradicate the behaviour traits that lead to restricted diets.
Parents need to be aware of nutritional requirements in children and encourage a varied diet in children rather than just keeping them fed or focusing on weight gain.
The author is a professor and HOD of the Department of Rheumatology & Clinical immunology, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi
Fix your diet
Almost all vegetables and fruits contain Vitamin C, though a substantial amount is lost while cooking. Good sources include: