Symptoms

The first symptoms to appear are nocturnal restlessness and profuse sweating about the head during sleep. The restlessness is usually quite marked; the patient rolls and tosses a great deal, and almost constantly moves the head back and forth on the pillow. Because of the profuse sweating the child becomes very susceptible to colds, bronchitis and bronchial pneumonia. A case of rickets is rather easily recognized by the large head, the pigeon breast, beaded ribs, the deformities of the extremities, the swelling of the epiphyses of the wrists and ankles, and the prominent abdomen.