1. [Vitamin D intake in young children with acute lower respiratory infection].
- Author
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Leis KS, McNally JD, Montgomery MR, Sankaran K, Karunanayake C, and Rosenberg AM
- Subjects
- Acute Disease, Bronchiolitis etiology, Child, Preschool, Female, Humans, Hydrogen-Ion Concentration, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Male, Pneumonia etiology, Respiratory Tract Infections prevention & control, Respiratory Tract Infections etiology, Vitamin D administration & dosage
- Abstract
Objective: To determine if vitamin D intake is associated with acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI) in children., Methods: The vitamin D intakes of children younger than 5 years of age admitted to hospital with either bronchiolitis or pneumonia were compared to an unmatched control group of the same age without respiratory infection. Caregivers of 197 children completed a questionnaire collecting information on demographic variables, ALRI risk factors and diet. Associations of ALRI with vitamin D intake and other ALRI risk factors were determined., Results: The mean vitamin D intake of children with ALRI was 48 IU/kg/d compared to 60 IU/kg/d in the control group. When controlling for age, ethnicity, socio-economic status, northern residence, breastfeeding, immunizations and smoking contact, children with a vitamin D intake of less than 80 IU/kg/d were greater than 4 times more likely to have ALRI compared to children with a vitamin D intake exceeding 80 IU/kg/d (OR=4.9; 95%CI: 1.5-16.4)., Conclusions: A higher vitamin D intake than currently recommended might be needed to offer protection against diseases such as ALRI. Increased vitamin D supplementation could have important public health consequences, as bronchiolitis and pneumonia are the most common reasons for hospitalization in young children. (Full English version will be available online at www.amepc.org/tp.).
- Published
- 2012