Prophylactic Vitamin D Supplementation Practices for Infants: A Survey of Pediatricians From Delhi

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Public Health
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Vitamin D supplementation is crucial for infant health.
• Current pediatric practices regarding vitamin D supplementation in Delhi are not well-documented.
• The absence of government guidelines may influence prescription patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prescription rates of routine vitamin D supplementation among pediatricians in Delhi.
• To compare vitamin D supplementation practices between pediatricians in public and private child care facilities.
• To identify factors influencing vitamin D prescription patterns in infants.

Main Methods:

• A survey was conducted among 125 pediatricians in Delhi.
• Data collected on prescription rates of vitamin D supplementation for various infant groups.
• Statistical analysis was performed to compare prescription rates between public and private practitioners.

Main Results:

• Prescription rates for routine vitamin D supplementation ranged from 70-100% across different infant groups.
• Pediatricians in private practice prescribed vitamin D supplementation more frequently to healthy, term infants (91.4%) compared to government pediatricians (71.6%).
• The difference in prescription rates between private and government pediatricians was statistically significant (P=0.005).

Conclusions:

• Routine vitamin D supplementation is widely prescribed by Delhi pediatricians.
• Significant disparities exist in vitamin D supplementation practices between private and public sectors.
• Further research is needed to understand the reasons behind these variations and to develop evidence-based guidelines.