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Adherence to Vitamin D Supplementation during Infancy-A Single Pediatric Primary Practice Retrospective Study
Jerko Vucak1, Jeronim Matijevic2, Ivan Pivac3
1Primary Health Care Pediatric Practice, Sibenik 22000, Croatia.
Insights
Vitamin D deficiency is common in infants. A study in Croatia found very low adherence to recommended vitamin D supplementation, with only 7.6% of infants receiving adequate doses.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Infants face a high risk of vitamin D deficiency.
- Prophylactic vitamin D supplementation is crucial for infant health.
- Ensuring adherence to supplementation regimens is a key pediatric goal.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the regularity of recommended prophylactic vitamin D doses in Croatian infants.
- To evaluate treatment adherence rates for vitamin D supplementation in the first year of life.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of vitamin D preparation prescription rates within a single pediatric primary care practice.
- Evaluation of infant adherence to prophylactic vitamin D regimens during the first year of life.
Main Results:
- Low treatment adherence to vitamin D supplementation was observed in Croatian infants.
- Only 7.6% of infants received the recommended prophylactic vitamin D doses.
- 19.3% of infants showed moderately irregular adherence; no significant differences based on location or parental education were found.
Conclusions:
- A significant gap exists in vitamin D supplementation adherence among Croatian infants.
- A public health campaign is necessary to improve vitamin D adherence during infancy.
- Further large-scale, national studies are recommended to confirm these findings.
Abstract:
The risk of vitamin D deficiency is high in infants. Therefore, potential vitamin D deficiency should be prophylactically treated with vitamin D supplementation. Achieving good adherence to recommended prophylactic regimens is the goal of every primary pediatrician. The aim of this paper was to establish whether Croatian infants receive recommended prophylactic doses of vitamin D regularly. We analyzed the prescription rate of vitamin D preparation during the first year of life in one pediatric primary practice. Our research has shown, for the first time in Croatia, that there is low treatment adherence. Only 7.6% of infants received the recommended doses of vitamin D. The percentage of infants in the moderately irregular adherence group was 19.3%. There was no statistical difference regarding urban or rural place of living or parents' educational level. Based on these findings, a comprehensive public health campaign is needed to improve adherence to vitamin D supplementation during infancy. Also, further studies on larger samples and on a national level are warranted.
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