Vitamin D deficiency: are we preventing the preventable? | Archives of Disease in Childhood

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Vitamin D deficiency: are we preventing the preventable?

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Vitamin D supplementation - The North Tyneside Experience
Stephen Owens
Published on: 22 March 2016

Published on: 22 March 2016
Vitamin D supplementation - The North Tyneside Experience
- Stephen Owens, Consultant paediatrician
- Other Contributors:
  Claire Keeling and Ewa Atherton
The Department of Health (DoH) recommends universal vitamin D supplementation for non-formula-dependent children aged 6 months to 5 years [1]. Following the report by Jamieson et al. [2], we share similar data from North Tyneside, showing that few children are being supplemented with vitamin D and that parental awareness of current recommendations is poor.
We distributed questionnaires to consecutive parents an...
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The Department of Health (DoH) recommends universal vitamin D supplementation for non-formula-dependent children aged 6 months to 5 years [1]. Following the report by Jamieson et al. [2], we share similar data from North Tyneside, showing that few children are being supplemented with vitamin D and that parental awareness of current recommendations is poor.
We distributed questionnaires to consecutive parents and carers of children aged 6 months to 5 years, presenting acutely to the Children's Assessment Unit at North Tyneside General Hospital earlier this year. We defined children at high-risk of vitamin D deficiency as those receiving less than 500 ml formula milk per day. The hospital serves a predominantly White British population at risk of vitamin D deficiency owing to the negative impact of reduced sunlight exposure in the higher latitudes of Northeast England.
The median age of the surveyed population was 27 months. Overall 10.5% (4/38) took Vitamin D supplements or 15.4% (4/26) in the high risk group. Only 18.5% (7/38) of carers were aware of current DoH recommendations with regard to vitamin D supplementation.
In view of the resurgence of vitamin D deficiency and its paediatric manifestations [3-4], we support the suggestion that a health promotion campaign to raise public awareness of DoH recommendations on supplementation is indicated and argue for universal vitamin distribution for children from birth to 5 years in primary care.
REFERENCES
1.National Institutes of health. July 2014.<http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional />
2.Jamieson K, Braha N, Gritz A, et al. Vitamin D deficiency: are we preventing the preventable? Arch Dis Child 2014;99(5):486-7.
3.Ladhani S, Srinivasan L, Buchanan C, et al. Presentation of Vitamin D deficiency. Arch Dis Child 2004;89(8):781-4.
4.Pearce SH, Cheetham TD. Diagnosis and management of vitamin D deficiency. BMJ 2010;340:b5664.
Conflict of Interest:
None declared
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Conflict of Interest:
None declared.
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