An ancient disease linked to malnutrition is on the rise among American children, ‘troubling’ data shows.
The rate of scurvy – which can cause teeth to fall out and extreme pain – tripled between 2016 and 2020, from around eight in every 100,000 kids to nearly 27.
The condition is caused by a lack of Vitamin C from fruit and vegetables, which is essential to keep skin, blood vessels and ligaments healthy.
Millions of children in rural America live in food deserts — neighborhoods where there is limited access to healthy, fresh food — who are especially vulnerable.
But while diet has is a major contributor to scurvy, experts say there are other factors in play – including rising rates of autism in minors.
Scurvy can cause rough, scaly skin and lead to bruising and bleeding under the skin
The above photo shows a child with scurvy experiencing gingivitis and bleeding of his gums and teeth
Scurvy can be traced to as far back as 3,800 BC Egypt.
In modern history, scurvy was documented in the 1500s and more than 2million sailors died from the condition between the 16th and 18th centuries.
It was thought to have disappeared in the 1900s once it was discovered that eating a more well-balanced seemed to prevent it.
But it had a resurgence in the 1970s when the American diet became more carb-based and less dependent on fresh fruits and vegetables, according to the National Library of Medicine.
Scurvy is caused by a long-term lack of vitamin C, a vital nutrient for tissue growth and wound healing. It’s found in citrus fruits, potatoes, red and chili peppers, strawberries and tomatoes.
The vitamin is needed to make collagen, a major building block for the skin, bones, ligaments, blood, muscles and cartilage.
Without vitamin C, the body cannot make enough collagen or heal as quickly, which leads to bleeding gums and loosened teeth, scaly skin, brittle hair, bleeding underneath the skin, muscle fatigue, anemia and bruising.
Scurvy can also cause swollen legs and pain so severe children may refuse to walk.
In 2022, 17 percent of American households with children faced food insecurity — a 40 percent increase from the previous year, the USDA reported.
More than half a million deaths per year are linked to nutritional deficiencies.
But Dr Stephanie Gilley from Children’s Hospital Colorado told DailyMail.com there were other reasons for the scurvy increase.
She said: ‘I also think that there are more children who are having severe neurodevelopmental disorders.
‘As we have more premature infants who are surviving earlier, like 23 or 24 weeks of gestation — which normal is 40 weeks so that’s quite early — the more children are at higher risk of things like cerebral palsy or other delays in their development and that can also be associated with eating difficulties.’
Premature birth rates have been increasing in America over the past decade.
While there is no known exact cause of why women go into preterm labor, there are several factors women may have that could increase the likelihood.
These include being a teen or woman over 35 years old, having a lower income, belonging to a minority demographic, having a history of early births, being pregnant with twins, triplets or more, suffering from certain comorbidities and using drugs or tobacco during pregnancy.
Environmental factors such as pollution and climate change and lack of prenatal care can also led to an early birth.
Dr Gilley has treated five patients with scurvy over the past four years and analyzed 47 cases at Children’s Hospital Colorado from 2003 to 2022.
The above shows a scurvy patient with severe overgrowth of the gums
Actor Lupita Nyong’o revealed she once suffered from scurvy due to a vitamin C deficiency
She was looking for symptom trends and discovered half the patients had a neurodevelopmental disorder.
Food insecurity was not the main risk factor in those cases.
Dr Gilley said: ‘There’s lots of processed foods that tend to be less expensive, that can have vitamin C in it. The needs for children are very low, especially as toddlers.
‘We know that food insecurity definitely contributes to the way people eat but in our cohort in Colorado, we did not see that.’
The main cause of scurvy Dr Gilley saw was picky eating habits.
She also did not observe any patterns 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 high BMI in the overweight or obese category.’
Musician James Blunt said he experienced symptoms of scurvy after going on an all-meat diet
To prevent scurvy, people should ensure they eat foods high in vitamin C, which include citrus fruits, potatoes, red and chili peppers, strawberries and tomatoes
Additionally, children with autism spectrum disorder account for 65 percent of scurvy cases, according to the study by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.
Dr Eduard Fatakhov from the Center for Internal and Integrative Medicine told DailyMail.com: ‘The relationship between nutrition and ASD symptoms is very complex.
‘Children with ASD exhibit nutritional problems such as food selectivity, limited food intake and behavioral problems during mealtimes.’
Doctors often see 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 do not have a well-rounded diet to ensure they get the necessary nutrients.
She said: ‘If your child is not eating something from all the food groups, they’re at risk of vitamin and mineral deficiencies.’
However, Dr Eduard Fatakhov from the Center for Internal and Integrative Medicine told DailyMail.com that produce is progressively becoming less nutritious, meaning even those who have access to good food are at risk.
He said: ‘There’s an increase in scurvy because farming changes decrease vitamin C.’
Modern industrial farming practices drain soil of its nutrients 1,000 times faster than they can be restored, the American Center for Nutrition reported, and the amount of vitamin C and overall nutritional value of fruits, vegetables and grains has dropped since the 1950s.
And the lack of access to food could make it hard for Americans to keep a balanced diet.
