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[Vitamin D intake in young children with acute lower respiratory infection]

Karen S Leis1, J Dayre McNally, Matthew R Montgomery

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. karen.leis@usask.ca

Zhongguo Dang Dai Er Ke Za Zhi = Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics
|February 1, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Children with lower vitamin D intake were significantly more likely to experience acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI). Increased vitamin D supplementation may be crucial for preventing common childhood illnesses like bronchiolitis and pneumonia.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Nutritional Science
  • Infectious Disease Epidemiology

Context:

  • Acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI) are a leading cause of hospitalization in children under five.
  • Vitamin D's role in immune function is increasingly recognized, but its specific impact on pediatric ALRI requires further elucidation.

Purpose:

  • To investigate the association between vitamin D intake and the incidence of acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI) in young children.
  • To compare vitamin D consumption in hospitalized children with ALRI versus a healthy control group.

Summary:

  • A study involving 197 children under five found that those with ALRI had a mean vitamin D intake of 48 IU/kg/d, compared to 60 IU/kg/d in controls.
  • After adjusting for confounding factors, children with vitamin D intake below 80 IU/kg/d were over four times more likely to have ALRI (OR=4.9).

Impact:

  • Findings suggest current vitamin D recommendations may be insufficient for protecting children against ALRI.
  • Increased vitamin D supplementation could represent a significant public health strategy to reduce pediatric hospitalizations for pneumonia and bronchiolitis.
Abstract

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