Biochemical and clinical effects of vitamin C on children with osteogenesis imperfecta have been documented. There is a significant drop in serum zinc correlated with ascorbate ingestion (25 to 50 mg/kg/day). This tendency contrasts to the trend in normal controls which is upward. Family members behave either like the affected child or normally whereas control families show only the expected increases.
Incidence of fracturing drops with chronic vitamin C ingestion. While encouraging this observation is not well controlled. Larger groups of patients must be observed before arriving at firm conclusions.
Submitted on October 26, 1973