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The effect of vitamin D on lower respiratory tract infections in children
Tuğba Şişmanlar1, Ayşe Tana Aslan1, Özlem Gülbahar2
1Division of Pediatric Pulmonology, Department of Pediatrics, Gazi University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
Insights
Vitamin D deficiency is common in children, but this study found no direct link between vitamin D levels and lower respiratory tract infections. Supplementation is still recommended, especially during winter.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) are a major cause of childhood mortality in developing nations.
- Vitamin D deficiency is linked to various health issues, including impaired immunity and pulmonary function.
- The relationship between vitamin D levels and LRTI in children remains under-investigated in our region.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between vitamin D levels and LRTI in children.
- To determine if vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency is prevalent in pediatric LRTI cases.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study comparing 63 children (6 months-5 years) with LRTI to 59 healthy, age-matched controls.
- Vitamin D levels were measured in both groups.
- Clinical evaluation of LRTI patients was performed.
Main Results:
- No significant correlation was found between vitamin D levels and the presence or severity of LRTI.
- High rates of vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency were observed in all children studied, irrespective of LRTI status.
Conclusions:
- While no direct link was established, the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency warrants attention.
- Measuring vitamin D levels and considering supplementation for children with LRTI, particularly in winter, is recommended due to vitamin D's role in immunity and lung health.
Aim:
Lower respiratory tract infections including mainly pneumonia represent an important public health problem leading to high mortality and mobidity rates in children aged below five years in developing countries including our country. Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with increased risk of rickets/osteomalacia, various cancers, autoimmune diseases, hyperproliferative skin diseases, cardiovascular system diseases and infectious diseases. Vitamin D has an important role in cellular and humoral immunity and pulmonary functions. Vitamin D deficiency and lower respiratory tract infection are common health problems in children in our country and no clinical study investigating the relationship between these problems has been conducted so far. In this case-control study, we aimed to assess the association between vitamin D level and lower respiratory tract infection in children.
Material And Methods:
Sixty-three children aged between six months and five years with lower respiratory infections and 59 age-matched children who had no history of respiratory symptoms in the last month and no accompanying chronic disease were compared in terms of vitamin D levels. The children in the patient group were also evaluated by the clinical picture.
Results:
No significant correlation was found between vitamin D levels and lower respiratory tract infection in terms of disease and its severity. However, it was found that vitamin D deficiency/ insufficiency was observed with a high rate in all children included in the study.
Conclusions:
Although no correlation was found between vitamin D level and lower respiratory tract infection, it is recommended that vitamin D level should be measured in children with lower respiratory tract infection and vitamin D supplementation should be given to all children especially in winter months based on the fact that the level of vitamin D was lower than normal in approximately half of the children included in the study and considering the effects of vitamin D on infections, pulmonary functions and immunity.
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