🎙 Scurvy in Modern Times

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Ever wondered if diseases from history books could still affect your family today? That's exactly what we're exploring as we dive into the surprising reappearance of scurvy in modern children. Far from being just a sailor's malady from centuries past, this vitamin C deficiency continues to show up in pediatric practices across the country—even in affluent communities like those served by Omega Pediatrics in Georgia.

The conversation takes us through what scurvy actually is and why it matters: a vitamin C deficiency that prevents proper collagen formation. Think of collagen as your body's scaffolding—it gives structure to skin, blood vessels, ligaments, tendons, bones, and teeth. Without it, things quite literally fall apart. We explore the tell-tale signs parents should watch for, from the early and easily-missed symptom of fatigue to more classic indicators like bleeding gums, joint pain, anemia, and perhaps most alarming, old wounds reopening as collagen breaks down.

What's particularly fascinating is understanding why this historical disease persists despite our knowledge and apparent food abundance. The culprits range from our increasing reliance on ultra-processed foods (which taste great but lack nutrients) to picky eating habits, overcooking vegetables (destroying vitamin C), medical conditions that affect absorption, and significant socioeconomic barriers to accessing fresh produce. The good news? Scurvy is both treatable and preventable with proper supplementation and dietary changes. We wrap up with practical advice for families: take an honest look at your regular meals and ask—are vitamin C-rich foods consistently on your table? Are there lots of colors from fruits and vegetables? These simple questions might be your best defense against a disease we wrongly assumed was relegated to history.

Ready to ensure your family's nutritional health? Subscribe to Have More Babies Now for more insights on keeping kids healthy, and visit omegapediatrics.com for additional resources on childhood nutrition and wellness.

Visit the blog post: https://www.omegapediatrics.com/the-astonishing-reality-of-scurvy/

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Episode Transcript

Stella (00:00):
Welcome to have More Babies Now.
You might think we're talkingabout family size today, but
actually we're diving intosomething quite different A
health issue many of us probablythink is just history.

Matthew (00:11):
Right Like something from old seafaring stories.

Stella (00:14):
Exactly Scurvy.

Matthew (00:16):
Yes.

Stella (00:16):
That scurvy and the surprising thing is well, it's
still around.
We're digging into an articletoday from Omega Pediatrics.
They're a great pediatricspractice with spots right here
in Georgia Roswell, alpharetta,milton, marietta, riverdale.

Matthew (00:31):
So relevant to a lot of families listening.

Stella (00:33):
Definitely, and our mission really is to get a
handle on what scurvy actuallyis, why it's popping up even now
.
What signs you should look for.

Matthew (00:42):
And, crucially, how to prevent it and keep kids healthy
.

Stella (00:45):
Precisely Because this old disease, it's actually a
concern for parents today.

Matthew (00:50):
It really is.
You know, we picture thosesailors long voyages, no fresh
fruit.
But the Omega Pediatrics piecereminds us this isn't just
history.
It's a vitamin C deficiency,ascorbic acid deficiency, and
while, yeah, it's rare compared,to, say, the common cold, it
does happen and vitamin c isjust so vital for so many things
in the body, especially, uh,making collagen collagen.

Stella (01:12):
Right, you hear that word everywhere health, beauty.
But break it down for us.
What does it do in a kid's body?
Why is it so important?

Matthew (01:19):
think of it like well, like the body, scaffolding or
maybe glue.
It's a protein that givesstructure to skin, blood vessels
, ligaments, tendons, even bonesand teeth.

Stella (01:31):
Wow, okay, everywhere.

Matthew (01:32):
Pretty much.
It keeps tissue strong,flexible.
So if you don't have enoughvitamin C, your body just can't
make healthy collagen.
Yeah, and that's when, as theOmega Pediatrics article
outlines, you start seeing theproblems, the symptoms of scurvy
.

Stella (01:45):
Right and the article is pretty clear Even with all the
food available today, this isn'tgone and ignoring it, serious
consequences.

Matthew (01:52):
Absolutely.

Stella (01:53):
So let's get into the why.
Why is this still a thing inour modern world?
What are the main causes?

Matthew (01:58):
now, Well, the number one reason.
According to the article, it'sstill straightforward Not
getting enough vitamin C in thediet.
Plain and simple.
Just not eating the right stuffOften yes, not enough fruits,
not enough vegetables the mainplaces we get it, but there's
more to it.
How you prepare food matterstoo.

Stella (02:18):
Oh.

Matthew (02:18):
Yeah, like overcooking vegetables, that can actually
destroy a lot of the vitamin C.
It's quite sensitive to heat.

Stella (02:23):
Huh, didn't realize that .

Matthew (02:25):
And then there's the convenience factor.
We rely a lot on processedfoods, right Quick meals, snacks
.

Stella (02:30):
Guilty as charged.
Sometimes Life gets busy.

Matthew (02:32):
Exactly, but those often lack essential nutrients,
including vitamin C.
So convenience, can you know,come at a nutritional price.

Stella (02:41):
That makes total sense.

Matthew (02:49):
The article also mentioned other factors right
beyond just the day-to-day diet.
Yes, definitely there aresituations that put people at
higher risk, things likemalabsorption issues.

Stella (02:53):
Like Crohn's disease.

Matthew (02:54):
Exactly like Crohn's If your body struggles to absorb
nutrients properly, you can eatenough vitamin C but still
become deficient.
Same goes for kids with severefood allergy.

Stella (03:04):
Ah, because their diets might be really restricted.

Matthew (03:07):
Precisely If they can't eat a wide variety of fruits
and veggies.
Getting enough C can be achallenge and unfortunately we
also have to considersocioeconomic factors.

Stella (03:17):
Meaning access to food.

Matthew (03:18):
Yeah, low income can really limit access to fresh
produce.
It might just be too expensiveor maybe there aren't good
grocery stores nearby, so adeficiency can happen simply
because healthy food isn'treadily available or affordable.

Stella (03:32):
That's a tough reality.
Access isn't equal for everyone.

Matthew (03:36):
Okay, so let's pivot to recognizing it.
The Omega Pediatrics info isgreat here.
What signs should parents youknow keep an eye out for?

Stella (03:45):
Well, the article stresses that it develops kind
of gradually.
It's not usually sudden.
One of the first things mightjust be fatigue.

Matthew (03:51):
Just feeling tired.
That seems so general.

Stella (03:53):
It is.
That's why it's easy to miss orblame on something else.
But as the deficiency getsworse, more classic signs appear
.
Bleeding gums are a big one.

Matthew (04:02):
Like when brushing their teeth.

Stella (04:04):
Exactly, or even spontaneously.
The gums might look swollen,maybe a bit purplish, and bleed
really easily.
Then there's joint pain.
Kids might complain, their armsor legs hurt.
Ouch Okay.

Matthew (04:14):
Scurvy can also cause anemia because vitamin C is
involved in iron absorption andred blood cell health.
So fewer red blood cells, lessoxygen getting around.

Stella (04:25):
Which links back to the fatigue, I guess.

Matthew (04:27):
It can.
Yes, and one really concerningsign mentioned is old wounds
reopening.
Scars that had healed mightstart to break down again.

Stella (04:36):
Wow, that really drives home how basic vitamin C is for
just holding the body together.

Matthew (04:42):
It really does.
It shows that collagenbreakdown in action.

Stella (04:44):
So if a parent sees some of these things maybe the
bleeding gums or the joint painwhat happens next?
How do doctors figure it outand, importantly, how's it
treated?

Matthew (04:54):
Okay.
So according to the OmegaPediatrics article, doctors will
usually run blood tests.
That's the direct way to checkvitamin C levels.

Stella (05:00):
Makes sense.

Matthew (05:01):
They'll also do a thorough checkup, you know
medical history, physical examlooking closely at the skin and
gums.
And if scurvy is diagnosed, thegood news is treatment is
generally very effective.

Stella (05:11):
Okay, good.
What does that involve?

Matthew (05:12):
It's primarily about getting vitamin C levels back up
, so supplementation is key.
Often they start with quitehigh doses to quickly replenish
the body's stores.

Stella (05:22):
Like a loading dose.

Matthew (05:23):
Kind of yeah.
Then they gradually reduce itto a normal daily amount.
And, just as importantly,dietary changes are crucial,
really focusing on bringing inthose vitamin C rich foods.

Stella (05:33):
Like oranges, strawberries, what else?

Matthew (05:37):
Well, peppers are fantastic sources actually Kiwi,
broccoli lots of options andregular follow-ups are needed to
monitor levels and make sureeverything's getting back on
track.

Stella (05:47):
That's reassuring, that it's treatable if caught, but
obviously we'd rather avoid italtogether.
Prevention seems like the wayto go.

Matthew (05:54):
Always.
Prevention is absolutely thebest strategy here.

Stella (05:57):
So what are the practical steps?
What can parents do proactively?

Matthew (06:01):
It really comes down to that balanced diet.
We talked about Making surethere's a good variety of fruits
and vegetables offered everyday.

Stella (06:07):
Consistently.

Matthew (06:08):
Building those habits Exactly, and the article
suggests teaching kids about whyvitamin C is important from a
young age, helping themunderstand you know, this food
helps keep you strong.
Getting them involved from ayoung age, helping them
understand.
You know this food helps keepyou strong, getting them
involved Right.
And for those kids withspecific challenges, like the
malabsorption issues orallergies we mentioned, working
closely with their pediatricianor maybe registered dietitian is

(06:28):
super important.
They need a tailored plan.

Stella (06:32):
Got it.
It's just fascinating, isn't it, how this condition we linked
to the past is still here.
Looking at all this, what'syour biggest takeaway on why
scurvy persists now, despiteeverything we know?

Matthew (06:45):
It really highlights a disconnect, doesn't it?

Stella (06:47):
Yeah.

Matthew (06:48):
We have the medical knowledge.
We understand nutrition.
Many of us have access toincredible food variety, yet
deficiency still happens.
It makes you think why?

Stella (06:57):
Yeah, what's the gap?

Matthew (06:58):
Is it maybe the overwhelming presence of
ultra-processed foods?
They're easy, they taste goodto kids, but nutritionally maybe
not so great.

Stella (07:07):
Or picky eaters.
That's a struggle for lots ofparents.

Matthew (07:10):
A huge factor.
Potentially, If a child onlyeats a very narrow range of
foods, it's hard to get all thenecessary nutrients.
Or perhaps, honestly, it's justawareness.
Maybe some parents just don'trealize scurvy is even a
possibility today.

Stella (07:22):
Thinking it's purely historical.

Matthew (07:24):
Exactly.
And then you layer on thosesocietal factors, even in places
like Roswell or Alpharetta,where Omega Pediatrics operates,
areas we might think of asgenerally affluent.

Stella (07:34):
There could still be pockets of meat.

Matthew (07:36):
There could be issues with food deserts, affordability
for some families, maybe lackof knowledge about preparing
fresh foods.
It shows that just havinghealth care nearby doesn't
automatically solve nutritionalchallenges.
It's more complex.

Stella (07:49):
That's a really crucial point.
It's the whole ecosystem access, cost, education.
So, wrapping up, the mainmessage seems clear Scurvy is
preventable.
Awareness and simple dietarysteps are powerful.

Matthew (08:03):
Absolutely, and maybe my final thought for you
listening, is just to take anhonest look at your family's
diet Day-to-day, week-to-week.
Are those vitamin C-rich foodsconsistently on the table?
Are there lots of colors fromfruits and veggies?

Stella (08:16):
A little self-audit.

Matthew (08:17):
Yeah, because often it's those small, regular
choices that really preventthese kinds of deficiencies long
term.

Stella (08:24):
Such a practical takeaway.
Thank you so much for walkingus through all this.
It's been incredibly insightful.

Matthew (08:28):
My pleasure.

Stella (08:29):
And a big thank you to all of you listening to have
More Babies for joining us.
If you found this useful,please, please share it with
other parents you know, let'sget the word out.
Awareness is key.
Definitely, and make sure yousubscribe or download the show
so you don't miss our futuredeep dives.
For more great resources onkeeping kids healthy, do check
out the Omega Pediatrics website.

(08:49):
That's omegapediatricscom.

Matthew (08:52):
Goodbye everyone.

Stella (08:53):
Until next time, take care and goodbye.