How are rickets and bow legs related to each other?

Vitamin D: "Bow legs" are normal in infants/toddlers, and will almost always straighten out with age. Rickets, which also causes bowing, is pretty rare. It tends to be in dark skinned infants in the northern states or Alaska who don't get Vit D supplements (400 IU/day for breastfed infants) or enough sun exposure for the skin to make it. Low calcium and some genetic diseases can also cause bowing.

Mechaics: The rickets result from a dietary deficiency of the agents that assure your bones can become strong and support the body. A baby with rickets has softer bones, and as they begin to stand and walk, this exaggerates the common bowing of infancy. Weak bones prevent the normal change from mild infant bowing to straighter appearance later on.

Rickets can cause: bow legs, but not all bow legs are caused by rickets and not all people with rickets have bow legs. Rickets is softening or weakening of bones, caused by a Vitamin D deficiency, and that can lead to bow legs, as well as other skeletal deformities. Speak to your/your child's doctor for more information.