A mother brought her four-year-old daughter to the doctor, complaining that her daughter didn't "look right." The child's forehead was enlarged, her rib cage was knobby, and her lower limbs were bent and deformed. X-rays revealed very thick epiphyseal plates. The mother was advised to increase dietary amounts of vitamin D and milk and to "shoo" the girl outside to play in the sun. Based on the child's signs and symptoms, what disease do you think she has

Rickets disease.

Explanation:

Rickets disease occurs when there is a mineralization deficit of the extracellular bone matrix; as a result, the bones are soft, and they deform easily. The X-rays show thick epiphyseal plates because it is hyaline cartilage that should be calcified to become a bone. As there is a deficit of vitamin D, the mineralization of the plate can not be done, making bone is flexible and deformable.

The main cause for Rickets disease is a diet with low intakes of calcium and vitamin D, and poor exposition to the sun, which is the best way to produce vitamin D. These two components are crucial for the mineralization of the bones.