What are the symptoms of vitamin D deficiency?

Signs of vitamin D deficiency differ in children and adults. Vitamin D helps the body absorb the mineral calcium, and together with calcium, it helps to build strong, healthy bones. So it's not surprising that too little vitamin D can cause bone problems.

In children, a deficiency in vitamin D can cause rickets, a disease in which the bones don't mineralize normally, leaving them soft. Rickets can also cause skeletal deformities such as knock-knees or bowlegs. Infants with the disorder may be delayed in crawling and sitting. In adults, vitamin D deficiency may increase risk for osteoporosis, in which bones get less dense and more fragile, or osteomalacia, in which bones soften.

Muscle aches, weakness and bone pain can occur in people of all ages who have vitamin D deficiency. Elderly people who do not get enough vitamin D may be particularly prone to falls and broken bones. Ask your doctor for more information about vitamin D.