1 year old breast fed child with excessive crying and gum bleeding is a feature of:
**Core Concept**
Rickets is a condition characterized by softening of the bones in children due to deficiency of vitamin D, calcium, or phosphate. This condition can lead to various symptoms, including gum bleeding and excessive crying in infants.
**Why the Correct Answer is Right**
Gum bleeding in infants is often a sign of vitamin C deficiency, which is commonly seen in breastfed children if the mother's diet is inadequate. Vitamin C is essential for the production of collagen, a protein that gives structure to connective tissue, including blood vessels and gums. A lack of vitamin C can lead to gum disease and bleeding gums. Excessive crying in infants can be a sign of many conditions, but in this context, it is often associated with vitamin C deficiency, as it can cause irritability and restlessness.
**Why Each Wrong Option is Incorrect**
**Option A:** This option is incorrect because gum bleeding is not typically associated with scurvy, which is a condition of vitamin C deficiency, but rather with bleeding disorders like hemophilia or platelet disorders.
**Option B:** This option is incorrect because rickets is a condition of vitamin D deficiency, which can cause softening of the bones and other symptoms, but gum bleeding is not a typical feature.
**Option C:** This option is incorrect because lead poisoning can cause a range of symptoms, including abdominal pain, constipation, and neurological problems, but gum bleeding is not a characteristic symptom.
**Clinical Pearl / High-Yield Fact**
Vitamin C deficiency can lead to gum disease and bleeding gums in infants, especially if the mother's diet is inadequate. This is a classic exam trap, as rickets is often associated with vitamin D deficiency, but gum bleeding is a key feature of vitamin C deficiency.
**Correct Answer: D.**