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Longitudinal study of vitamin D status in the 1st 6 months of life

H Narchi1, J Kochiyil, R Zayed

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. hassib.narchi@uaeu.ac.ae

Annals of Tropical Paediatrics
|July 26, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Vitamin D deficiency is common in newborns, but infant levels improve by 6 months without supplementation. Further research is needed to understand this natural normalization process.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Endocrinology
  • Nutritional Science

Background:

  • Hypovitaminosis D is a known issue in neonates and infants.
  • Limited data exists on longitudinal vitamin D status changes during early infancy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and identify risk factors in infants aged 0-6 months in Al Ain, UAE.
  • To track longitudinal changes in vitamin D levels from birth to 6 months.

Main Methods:

  • Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH-vitamin-D) levels were measured in 27 infants (mothers of Middle Eastern/Asian origin) at birth and 6 months.
  • Infants were born between September and November 2007.

Main Results:

  • At birth, 22% of mothers and 22% of infants had vitamin D deficiency (<25 nmol/L).
  • Despite no supplementation, infant vitamin D levels improved significantly by 6 months, with 87% achieving adequate levels (>50 nmol/L).
  • Exclusively breastfed infants showed slower improvement in vitamin D levels compared to partially breastfed infants, though not statistically significant.

Conclusions:

  • Infant vitamin D levels can improve naturally by 6 months, even without supplementation.
  • Current vitamin D supplementation guidelines for infants remain crucial due to unclear normalization mechanisms.
  • Further investigation into the mechanisms of spontaneous vitamin D level improvement in infants is warranted.
Abstract

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