An ancient disease linked to malnutrition is on the rise among American children, “worrying” data shows.
The rate of scurvy, which can cause teeth to fall out and cause extreme pain, tripled between 2016 and 2020, from around eight in every 100,000 children to nearly 27.
The condition is caused by a lack of vitamin C from fruits and vegetables, which is essential for maintaining healthy skin, blood vessels and ligaments.
Millions of children in rural America live in food deserts (neighborhoods where there is limited access to healthy, fresh food) and are especially vulnerable.
But while diet is a major contributing factor to scurvy, experts say there are other factors at play, including rising rates of autism in children.
Scurvy can cause rough, scaly skin and lead to bruising and bleeding under the skin.
The photograph above shows a child with scurvy experiencing gingivitis and bleeding gums and teeth.
Scurvy dates back to 3,800 BC in Egypt.
In modern history, scurvy was documented in the 16th century and more than 2 million sailors died from the disease between the 16th and 18th centuries.
It was thought to have disappeared in the 1900s, when it was discovered that eating a more balanced diet seemed to prevent it.
But it resurged in the 1970s, when the American diet shifted to a more carbohydrate-based diet and less reliance on fresh fruits and vegetables, according to the National Library of Medicine.
Scurvy is caused by a prolonged lack of vitamin C, a vital nutrient for tissue growth and wound healing. It is found in citrus fruits, potatoes, red peppers and chili peppers, strawberries and tomatoes.
The vitamin is necessary to produce collagen, a fundamental component of skin, bones, ligaments, blood, muscles and cartilage.
Without vitamin C, the body cannot produce enough collagen or heal as quickly, leading to bleeding gums and loose teeth, flaky skin, brittle hair, bleeding under the skin, muscle fatigue, anemia, and bruising.
Scurvy can also cause swelling and pain in the legs, so more severely ill children may refuse to walk.
In 2022, 17 percent of U.S. households with children faced food insecurity, an increase of 40 percent from the previous year, the USDA reported.
More than half a million deaths a year are related to nutritional deficiencies.
But Dr Stephanie Gilley of Children’s Hospital Colorado told DailyMail.com there were other reasons for the rise in scurvy.
She said: ‘I also think there are more children who have severe neurodevelopmental disorders.
‘As we have more premature babies surviving earlier, like at 23 or 24 weeks gestation (which is typically 40 weeks, so it’s quite early), more children are at higher risk for things like cerebral palsy or other delays in their development and that can also be associated with feeding difficulties.’
Premature birth rates have been increasing in the United States over the past decade.
While the exact cause of why women go into premature labor is unknown, there are several factors that can increase the likelihood.
These include being a teenager or woman over 35, having a low income, belonging to a minority demographic group, having a history of premature birth, being pregnant with twins, triplets or more, suffering from certain comorbidities, and using drugs or tobacco during pregnancy.
Environmental factors such as pollution, climate change and lack of prenatal care can also cause premature birth.
Dr. Gilley has treated five patients with scurvy over the past four years and has analyzed 47 cases at Children’s Hospital Colorado between 2003 and 2022.
The image above shows a patient with scurvy and severe gum overgrowth.
Actress Lupita Nyong’o revealed that she once suffered from scurvy due to a vitamin C deficiency
He was looking at symptom trends and found that half of the patients had a neurodevelopmental disorder.
Food insecurity was not the main risk factor in these cases.
Dr Gilley said: “There are a lot of processed foods that tend to be cheaper and may contain vitamin C. Children’s needs are very low, especially when they are young.”
“We know that food insecurity definitely contributes to how people eat, but in our cohort in Colorado, we didn’t see that.”
The main cause of scurvy that Dr. Gilley observed was selective eating habits.
He also did not observe any pattern in weight.
She said: ‘There were some children who were underweight, there were some children who were normal weight and then there were some children who had a high BMI in the overweight or obese category.’
Musician James Blunt said he experienced symptoms of scurvy after eating an all-meat diet.
To prevent scurvy, people should make sure to eat foods rich in vitamin C, including citrus fruits, potatoes, red peppers and chili peppers, strawberries, and tomatoes.
Additionally, children with autism spectrum disorder account for 65 percent of scurvy cases, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons study.
Dr Eduard Fatakhov, from the Centre for Internal and Integrative Medicine, told DailyMail.com: ‘The relationship between nutrition and ASD symptoms is very complex.
‘Children with ASD present nutritional problems such as food selectivity, limited food intake and behavioral problems during meals.’
Doctors often view scurvy as a “disease of the past” and overlook its symptoms, Dr. Fatakhov added.
Dr. Gilley advised parents to “advocate” for their children at the doctor’s office if they are not eating a balanced diet to ensure they are getting the necessary nutrients.
She said: “If your child doesn’t eat something from all the food groups, they are at risk for vitamin and mineral deficiencies.”
However, Dr Eduard Fatakhov, from the Centre for Internal and Integrative Medicine, told DailyMail.com that agricultural products are becoming progressively less nutritious, meaning even those who have access to good food are at risk.
He said: ‘There is an increase in scurvy because changes in agriculture decrease vitamin C.’
Modern industrial farming practices drain nutrients from soil 1,000 times faster than they can be restored, the Centers for Nutrition and Food Security reported, and the amount of vitamin C and overall nutritional value of fruits, vegetables and grains has declined since the 1950s.
And lack of access to food could make it difficult for Americans to maintain a balanced diet.
