Dear all:

Rickets is a form of sunlight deficiency plain and simple.  Vitamin D is really misclassified 
as a vitamin.  You can get it from foods, but it is really converted on the skin.  

The reason why this is currently a problem and was a problem when we explored beyond 
Africa into other northern reaches of the planet is because it is difficult to get adequate 
exposure to the sun.  Industrialization increased pollution which limited sun exposure.  In 
Northern and Southern extremes of the planet we get inadequate exposure during our 
respective "winters" and with tall buildings we have further limitations to the sun.  With 
the hole in the ozone, we have a problem with skin cancer.

This is an environmental, not a nutritional, problem.  

As I understand, the expert committee that was convened on vitamin D deficiency (or 
sunlight deficiency as it should more properly be called) was convened at the request of 
mothers of infants and young children who unecessarily developed rickets.  The evidence 
did not point to being able to supplement the mother adequately to compensate for 
inadequate sun exposure in the infant.

The last understanding I had of this topic was that there had been over 100 cases of 
rickets in Manhattan among Caucasian infants in a year.  This means, that there are 
about 20 times that number that have inadequate exposure to sunlight to have adequate 
vitamin D stores.   

This is not a simple problem.  There is insufficient research on the risks of skin cancer, 
the specific sun exposure required in various latitudes during various type of the year to 
truly inform nuanced choices in the arena of "vitamin D" or "sunlight exposure".   

Best, Susan Burger

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