What condition is characterized by vitamin D deficiency in children?

Rickets is a condition specifically associated with vitamin D deficiency in children. It is characterized by the softening and weakening of bones due to inadequate phosphate and calcium, which are essential for healthy bone development. In children, rickets often leads to deformities such as bowing of the legs, thickened wrists and ankles, and a delay in growth. Vitamin D is crucial for the absorption of calcium and phosphate in the intestines, and its deficiency disrupts this process, leading to the symptoms associated with rickets.

Osteomalacia is the equivalent condition in adults, resulting from the same deficiency but does not typically occur in children as a distinct diagnosis. Basal cell carcinoma is a type of skin cancer that is unrelated to vitamin D deficiency but is actually linked to excessive ultraviolet (UV) exposure. Post herpetic neuralgia refers to nerve pain that can occur after a herpes zoster (shingles) infection, which has no connection to vitamin D levels.