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Vitamin D deficiency in children and adolescents: epidemiology, impact and treatment
Susanna Y Huh1, Catherine M Gordon
1Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Children's Hospital Boston, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Susanna.Huh@childrens.harvard.edu
Abstract:
Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent among children and adolescents worldwide. The high rates of vitamin D deficiency during childhood are of major public health relevance, given the growing evidence that vitamin D deficiency may play a key role in the pathophysiology of many chronic diseases beyond rickets, including autoimmune conditions, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. Identification, treatment, and prevention of vitamin D deficiency in childhood may therefore have profound health effects throughout the life span. In this review, we discuss the definitions, epidemiology, clinical implications, and treatment of vitamin D deficiency in children and adolescents.
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