NEW YORK, Jul 17 (Reuters Health) - When it was discovered that sailors away
at sea could stop their gums from bleeding by sucking on a lime, one of the
first links between disease--in this case, a vitamin C deficiency--and diet
became apparent. But a recent report illustrates that even modern-day children
anchored at home are vulnerable to scurvy--a vitamin C deficiency that causes
bleeding gums, loose teeth, muscle degeneration and weakness.
In one case, a 5-year-old boy ate nothing but Pop-Tarts, cheese pizza,
biscuits and water for 5 months, according to a report in the July issue of the
Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. He refused fruits, vegetables,
juices and vitamins. The result? A case of scurvy--a disease seldom seen in
developed countries today.
While the boy was playful, alert and appeared to be growing normally, he
developed a limp and was diagnosed with anemia. His gums became swollen and he
developed small, purple spots on his skin. Eventually, the pain was so severe he
was unable to get out of bed or walk without assistance.
After ruling out leukemia or other ailments, the doctors diagnosed the
youngster with a severe vitamin C deficiency, most likely caused by his unusual
diet.
The doctors gave the boy vitamin C, which improved his pain and symptoms
within a week.
"The development of scurvy in an otherwise healthy child is remarkable,"
which contributed to the initial difficulty in diagnosing the boy's condition,
according to Dr. Yoshiko Tamura and colleagues with Vanderbilt University in
Nashville, Tennessee, noting that worldwide incidence of the disease has
declined dramatically since the 1930s. People who are at risk of scurvy include
the homeless, psychiatric patients, food faddists, alcoholics and people who
avoid acidic foods due to stomach aggravation.
The "case is a reminder to the clinician that nutritionally based disease
may occur in any socioeconomic setting and that nutritional screening remains an
important part of every child's general healthcare," the authors conclude.
