Letters to the Editor
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RE: Questions
Vitamin D deficiency leads to a variety of conditions which are pretty much all tied to skeletal maintenance. Bones thin and weaken, becoming fragile. Muscles weaken and tear in extreme cases.
In children, it stunts growth and causes deformities when untreated. So, yeah, it can be serious, depending on just how long to what degree the deficiency lasts.
Not having ever worn a burqa, I couldn't really say how much UV gets through, but a simple thin cotton T-shirt blocks a significant amount of UV. Having arms and shoulders exposed for just a little bit each day, particularly in more equatorial areas, can allow synthesis of enough vitamin D to keep your bones healthy.