Ancient disease from 3,800 BC is making a comeback in children – causing crippling pain and making their teeth fall out

An ancient disease linked to malnutrition is on the rise among American children, “alarming” data show.

The number of cases of scurvy, which can lead to tooth loss and extreme pain, tripled between 2016 and 2020, from about eight in every 100,000 children to almost 27.

The condition is caused by a deficiency of vitamin C from fruits and vegetables, which is essential for healthy skin, blood vessels and ligaments.

Millions of children in rural America live in food deserts – neighborhoods where access to healthy, fresh food is limited – making them particularly vulnerable.

While diet is a major factor in the development of scurvy, experts say other factors also play a role, including the increasing rate of autism in minors.

Scurvy originated in Egypt in 3,800 BC.

In modern history, scurvy was first documented in the 16th century. Between the 16th and 18th centuries, more than 2 million sailors died from the disease.

It was thought to have disappeared in the 1900s after it was discovered that eating a more balanced diet seemed to prevent the development of diabetes.

But it made a comeback in the 1970s, when the American diet became more carbohydrate-based and less reliant on fresh fruits and vegetables, according to the National Library of Medicine.

Scurvy is caused by a long-term deficiency of vitamin C, an essential nutrient for tissue growth and wound healing. It is found in citrus fruits, potatoes, red and chili peppers, strawberries, and tomatoes.

This vitamin is necessary for the production of collagen, an important building block for the skin, bones, ligaments, blood, muscles and cartilage.

Without vitamin C, the body cannot produce enough collagen and the body cannot recover as quickly. This leads to bleeding gums and loose teeth, flaky skin, brittle hair, bleeding under the skin, muscle fatigue, anemia and bruising.

Scurvy can also cause swollen legs and pain, sometimes causing severely affected children to refuse to walk.

In 2022, 17 percent of U.S. households with children were food insecure, a 40 percent increase from the previous year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported.

More than half a million deaths each year are linked to nutritional deficiencies.

But Dr. Stephanie Gilley of the Children’s Hospital of Colorado told DailyMail.com there are other reasons for the increase in scurvy.

She said, “I also think there are more children with serious neurodevelopmental disorders.

‘Because we have more premature babies who are surviving earlier, say at 23 or 24 weeks of gestation (normal is 40 weeks, so that’s quite early), more children are at greater risk of things like cerebral palsy or other delays in their development, and that may also be linked to feeding problems.’

The number of premature births has increased in America over the past decade.

Although there is no known exact cause of why women give birth prematurely, there are several factors that can increase the risk.

Examples include being a teenager or a woman over 35, having a lower income, being a member of a minority group, having a history of preterm birth, being pregnant with twins, triplets or more, having certain comorbidities, and using drugs or tobacco during pregnancy.

Environmental factors such as pollution, climate change and lack of prenatal care can also lead to premature 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.

She looked for symptom trends and found that half of the patients had a neurodevelopmental disorder.

Food insecurity was not the biggest risk factor in these cases.

Dr Gilley said: ‘There are many processed foods that tend to be cheaper and can contain vitamin C. Children’s needs are very low, especially as toddlers.

“We know that food insecurity certainly contributes to the way people eat, but in our sample in Colorado we didn’t see that.”

The main cause of scurvy that Dr. Gilley saw was fastidious eating habits.

She also saw no patterns in the weight.

She said: ‘There were underweight children, normal weight children and children with a high BMI, in the overweight or obese category.’

According to a study by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, children with autism spectrum disorder account for 65 percent of scurvy cases.

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 exhibit feeding problems, such as selective eating, restricted food intake and behavioral problems during mealtimes.’

Doctors often view scurvy as a “disease of the past” and ignore its symptoms, Dr. Fatakhov said.

Dr. Gilley advised parents to “advocate” for their children’s health with their doctor if they are not eating a balanced diet to ensure they are getting the nutrients they need.

She said, “If your child isn’t eating from all the food groups, he or she is at risk for vitamin and mineral deficiencies.”

However, Dr Eduard Fatakhov from the Centre for Internal and Integrative Medicine told DailyMail.com that fruits and vegetables are becoming less nutritious, meaning even people who have access to good food are at risk.

He said: ‘Scurvy is increasing because changes in agriculture mean there is less vitamin C in agriculture.’

According to the American Center for Nutrition, modern industrial farming methods are depleting nutrients from the soil 1,000 times faster than they can be restored. In addition, vitamin C and the overall nutrient content of fruits, vegetables and grains have declined since the 1950s.

And lack of access to food can make it difficult for Americans to eat a balanced diet.