Author/Authors :
TORKAMAN، Mohammad نويسنده MD,Assistant Professor, Baqyiatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , , Abolghasemi، Hassan نويسنده , , AMIRSALARI، Susan نويسنده Assistant Professor of Pediatric Neurology , , BEIRAGHDAR، Fatemeh نويسنده Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, , , Afsharpaiman، Shahla نويسنده Department of Pediatrics, Health Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Afsharpaiman, Shahla , Kavehmanesh، Zohreh نويسنده Professor of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Department of Pediatric Kavehmanesh, Zohreh , Khosravi، Mohammad Hossein نويسنده Students’ Research Committee, Baqiyatallah University of
Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran ,
Abstract :
Vitamin D is a vital lipid-soluble vitamin in the body, helping the growth and development of bones. Vitamin D deficiency in children has several adverse effects. The most important preventative factor is determining the deficiency at an early stage and prescribing vitamin D-containing supplements. To investigate the vitamin D status of children younger and older than 2 years and determine the utility of prescribing vitamin D supplements. Three hundred healthy children who attended the pediatric clinic for routine assessments were enrolled in this study. Their parents were asked to complete a questionnaire, which included questions about demographics, nutrition, and supplements. Blood levels of vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus were then measured. The final study consisted of 286 children, 140 males and 146 females, with a mean age of 4.46 ± 2.82 yr. Of these, 218 (76.22%) children, with a mean age of 5.09 ± 2.82 yr, had vitamin D deficiency, and 76 children (23.78%), with a mean age of 2.58 ± 1.88 yr, had normal vitamin D levels (P = 0.001). The mean level of vitamin D was 29.71 ± 14.42 ng/mL in 88 (30.8%) patients up to 2 years and 17.11 ± 14.02 ng/mL in 198 (69.2%) patients older than 2 years (P = 0.0001). The vitamin D levels of children aged more than 2 years are lower than those of children aged less than 2 years. Thus, prescribing vitamin D-containing supplements in children older than 2 years may be beneficial.
