Rickets Prevention

Prevention

To help prevent rickets or osteomalacia:

• Drink vitamin D-fortified milk.
• Consume sufficient vitamin D, calcium, and other minerals. If you think your diet may be deficient, talk with your doctor about alternate sources of vitamins and minerals.
• Get sufficient, but not excessive, exposure to sunlight. Fifteen minutes a day is usually considered sufficient. Any longer than that requires sun protection with clothing or sunscreens, especially in fair-skinned infants or children. Children with dark skin and their mothers are at increased risk for rickets and may need more sun exposure and dietary supplementation with vitamin D.
• Breastfed, dark-skinned babies should receive 400 International Units per day (IU/d) of supplementation with vitamin D starting at no later than two months of age.