DETERMINATION OF CALCIUM AND PHOSPHORUS IN STAPLE FOODS IN RICKETS PREVALENT AREAS IN KADUNA STATE

📄 Project Abstract

The beginning of the 20th century witnessed the epidemic of nutritional rickets among children in many countries of Asia, North America, Northern Europe and Africa. It was observed that a low dietary intake of calcium among rural children is a major contributor to rickets disease. Nutritional rickets remain a problem in many countries of the world despite a decline in the prevalence of the condition in many developed countries. Prevalence of rickets remain high in Nigeria among infants and young children and it appears to be a consequence of calcium malnutrition. In Nigeria, 2.4% of households have been reported to have children with rickets, while the prevalence of the bone disorder has been reported to be as high as 14.9% especially central Nigeria. It is therefore imperative to evaluate the mineral content of some common foods consumed by rickets disease prevalence areas of Kaduna state namely: Gonin Gora, Jankasa and Kaso. This study was aimed at determining the calcium and phospho...