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Published on: November 5, 2019
Low vitamin D status in children with sickle cell disease
Anne M Buison1, Deborah A Kawchak, Joan Schall
1Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, 19104, USA.
Objectives:
To examine vitamin D status in children with sickle cell disease (SCD)-SS and its relation to season and dietary intake.
Study Design:
Growth, dietary intake, 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD), and parathyroid hormone levels were measured. Children with low and normal vitamin D status were compared. Low vitamin D status was defined as a serum concentration of 25-OHD <27.5 nmol/L. Serum 25-OHD and parathyroid hormone levels were compared among children with SCD-SS and healthy children.
Results:
Children with SCD-SS (n=65), 5 to 18 years of age, were evaluated. Mean (+/-SD) serum 25-OHD concentration was 25.5 +/- 12.8 nmol/L; 65% of subjects had low vitamin D status. Low vitamin D prevalence was highest during spring (100%). Children with SCD-SS were at higher risk for low vitamin D status than healthy children. Vitamin D intake was lower in subjects with SCD-SS and low vitamin D than those with normal serum vitamin D status (P <.05).
Conclusions:
Low serum vitamin D status was highly prevalent in black children with SCD-SS. Vitamin D status was associated with season and dietary intake.
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