The Boy has lost in the past two weeks, three kilos of weight. He must pass often suffers from constipation and has no appetite. For this, he has a thirst to constantly have to urinate often. His parents bring the four-year-old in the emergency room of a hospital in London, reports two children doctors from Barts Health NHS Trust in London in the journal “BMJ Case Reports”.
The Boy is autistic, according to a statement from the parents of any regular medication and have not suffered so far under unusual diseases. Also the medical history of the parents is unremarkable.
A first blood test shows that the Boy has a much too high level of calcium. This is 4,08 mmol/l. Normal would be a value between 2.2 and 2.6 mmol/l, report to the Doctors. A Hyperfunction of the parathyroid glands, as well as different cancer diseases can cause the level of calcium to rise. Information on cancer will not find the Doctors fortunately. The level of the so-called parathyroid hormone in the parathyroid glands is formed, when the boy is not increased, but even lower than normal.
Other possible causes of elevated calcium value may exclude the Doctors. An ultrasound of the abdomen is as inconspicuous as a nuclear spin tomography of the brain.
Too much of a Good
However, another blood value the medical professionals take a closer look: The Vitamin-D-level of the child is extremely high. This may explain the Calcium: Vitamin D improves the calcium absorption in the intestine and influenced the structure and removal of bone, which also has an effect on the level of calcium. The low value of the parathyroid hormone also fits into the picture of an Overdose of Vitamin D.
The Doctors are now trying to reduce the calcium value, so that the child recovers. You give your patient plenty of fluids. Since this is not enough, alone, to administer the hormone Calcitonin, which promotes the excretion of calcium via the kidneys, as well as a diuretic, you the active ingredient, furosemide. Later, you can give the child in addition to a bisphosphonate, which inhibits bone resorption and thus release of calcium from the bones. It also contributes to lower Vitamin D levels.
To therapy, the blood values of the child begin to normalize.
The Overdose came, the Doctors only a few days later, as the mother searches the conversation with you.
She had administered to the boy for months, twelve different resources, which has recommended an Alternative medicine because of the autism. The child got, among other things, a formulation with calcium and Magnesium, camel’s milk, which contains a lot of calcium, a Vitamin D Supplement and cod liver oil, which is very rich in Vitamin D.
Vitamin D is important for the body, among other things, it helps in bone building. And researchers discuss actually whether a Vitamin D deficiency can be a factor in the development of autism. However, in too high a dose of Vitamin D can damage products. Therefore, it is advisable not to speak before taking a doctor.
The parents are shocked: The funds that you have given your son to make him better, made him sick.
What is often concealed
Catriona Boyd and Abdul Moodambail, the reports about the case indicate that, in particular, autistic children get very often, alternative medicine supplements – in a US study, there were about three-quarters.
While parents fear when medical therapies more side-effects, you go out in the recommendations of alternative physicians tend to assume that this will not cause any damage. Finally, these methods are often referred to as “soft”. During the conversation with the doctor, the therapies are not or only late are often mentioned, in that specific case, only days after arrival in the emergency room.
The two children doctors advise their colleagues, therefore, to ask parents whether their child a dietary Supplement or over-the-counter preparations occupies. This may explain, as this case shows, some of the symptoms.
The four-year-old can be discharged from the hospital. The Doctors have made it to this point in time to normalize its calcium value again and the child is well again.