Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Endocrinology
• Public Health

Background:

• Vitamin D is crucial for calcium and phosphorus balance, essential for bone health.
• Vitamin D deficiency is linked to rickets and increased risk of chronic diseases like diabetes, obesity, and autoimmune disorders.
• Vitamin D receptors are present in numerous tissues, indicating widespread physiological roles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine vitamin D concentrations in a healthy pediatric population.
• To identify factors influencing vitamin D levels in children.
• To assess current vitamin D prophylaxis practices and guideline adherence.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 107 healthy children aged 1-15 years was studied.
• Participants were selected from those undergoing minor surgery requiring preoperative blood tests.
• Exclusion criteria ensured that underlying pathologies did not affect study parameters.

Main Results:

• 72.9% of the pediatric sample exhibited insufficient vitamin D levels (mean 26.07 ± 7.11 ng/ml).
• Hypovitaminosis D was more prevalent in males, those with higher BMI, children of immigrant parents, and individuals with extreme phototypes.
• Lack of vitamin D prophylaxis in the first year of life correlated with a higher risk of deficiency.

Conclusions:

• A significant proportion of healthy children suffer from vitamin D deficiency.
• Current vitamin D prophylaxis recommendations are not adequately implemented by the general population.
• There is a critical need to improve adherence to vitamin D supplementation guidelines in pediatric care.