Between January 2015 and November 2023, 888 children with scurvy were hospitalized in France.
It is a disease that had disappeared, a disease from another time nicknamed “the plague of the seas” common among sailors in the 17th and 18th centuries. However, since the Covid 19 epidemic, the number of cases of scurvy among children has increased sharply. Faced with the increase in the phenomenon, the Robert-Debré hospital in Paris undertook a large-scale study. Based on data from the PMSI (Program for the Medicalization of Information Systems), they identified 888 children hospitalized for scurvy between January 2015 and November 2023. Since March 2020, a notable increase of 34.5% has been observed, with an increase of 200% among 5 to 10 year olds.
Libération relates the case of a little boy of around five years old, suffering from bone pain and limping, who was taken into care at the Nîmes University Hospital. Doctors from the pediatric department, led by Professor Tu-Anh Tran, explored several hypotheses: inflammatory diseases, infections, even cancer. No results were conclusive. However, one observation caught their attention: the child only consumed yogurt and ladyfingers. A nutritional assessment then revealed a serious vitamin C deficiency, leading to a surprising diagnosis: scurvy. With vitamin C supplementation, the boy recovered quickly.
The rest after this ad
Insecurity and unbalanced eating habits
This rare case is not unique, however. The study mentioned above, published in December in the journal The Lancet, shows a correlation between the resurgence of scurvy and precariousness worsened by the post-pandemic economic crisis. Nearly 23% of children hospitalized for scurvy suffered from severe malnutrition. Others had disorders like autism or anorexia, which can also disrupt their eating.
The rest after this ad
In addition to economic difficulties, unbalanced eating habits also seem to contribute to this unexpected return of scurvy. In Montpellier, a teenager ate only pasta and dessert creams, which led to a case of scurvy so advanced that he could no longer bend his knees, say doctors interviewed by Libération. Vitamin C supplementation led to rapid recovery, but such a case highlights the importance of a balanced diet.
The situation could get worse
Scurvy is traditionally characterized by bleeding gums and tooth loss. However, these symptoms remain rare at present and signs such as severe fatigue, hair loss and bone pain are more common. Ulrich Meinzer, coordinator responsible for the general pediatrics department, told BFM: “I saw children arriving with pain in the skeletal muscles, fragility of the vessels, small hemorrhages in the gums.”
The rest after this ad
The rest after this ad
He and his colleagues advocate for broader awareness. Although scurvy is not a massive epidemic, the situation can get worse if action is not taken. They call for better dietary education, increased access to healthy products and increased training of caregivers to identify these deficiencies, which expose children to other risks, such as obesity, diabetes, and a weakened immune system. .
