Young children with vitamin D deficiency have trouble in absorbing which of the following minerals ?

Vitamin D plays a critical role in maintaining bone health by facilitating the intestinal absorption of calcium and phosphorus. The active form of Vitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃ (calcitriol), enhances the efficiency of the small intestine to absorb these minerals from the diet by stimulating the expression of specific transport proteins in the intestinal mucosa.

In children, a deficiency of Vitamin D leads to Rickets, a condition characterized by soft and weak bones due to inadequate mineralization of the bone matrix. While iron absorption is primarily influenced by Vitamin C and gastric acidity, and electrolytes like sodium and potassium are absorbed through independent transport mechanisms, calcium and phosphorus are the primary minerals whose uptake is heavily dependent on adequate Vitamin D levels.