If rickets is suspected, your GP may carry out a number of tests including a physical examination, an X-ray and blood tests.
These are described in more detail below:
- Physical examination – this will check for any obvious problems with your child’s skeleton, such as bone pain and tenderness.
- Medical history – your GP will discuss your child’s medical history, diet, family history and any medication they are currently taking.
- Blood tests – your GP may arrange for your child to have some blood tests to measure calcium, phosphorous and vitamin D levels.
- X-ray – your child may also have some X-rays and sometimes a bone densitometry scan (DEXA scan), which is a special type of X-ray that measures the calcium content in the bones.
