ATLANTA—Almost 75 percent of healthy, low-income, minority children were low in vitamin D status in a recent study published in Pediatrics (2010 Mar 29). The researchers from Emory University also found age and season were significant predictors of vitamin D deficiency, and most children get their vitamin D through fortified milk.
The goals of the study were to determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among minority children in a southern U,S. city, to examine differences in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels between non-Hispanic black and Hispanic children, and to determine dietary sources of vitamin D. Therefore, 290 low-income, minority children (mean age: 2.5 ± 1.2 years) were recruited during well-child clinic visits in Atlanta. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and calcium levels were measured and dietary information was assessed.
The mean 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 level was 26.2 ± 7.6 ng/mL, whereas 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 was not detected. Overall, 22.3 percent of children had deficient serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 levels (20 ng/mL), 73.6 percent had less-than-optimal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels (30 ng/mL), and 1.4 percent had low serum calcium levels (9 mg/dL).
A significantly larger proportion of non-Hispanic black children, compared with Hispanic children, had vitamin D deficiency (26 percent vs. 18 percent; P<0.05).
Age and season of recruitment were significantly associated with vitamin D deficiency and low serum calcium levels. Older children (3 years) were less likely to have vitamin D deficiency (P<0.001). Study enrollment during spring and summer reduced the likelihood of vitamin D deficiency by 20 percent P<0.01).
Fortified milk provided most dietary vitamin D (62 percent), with Hispanic children reporting greater intake.