Current status of vitamin D 2 deficiency among children in a region of China.

Background: The aim of this study was to explore the current status of vitamin D ₂ (VD ₂ ) deficiency in hospitalized children in a region of China.
Methods: The instances of detection of vitamin D (VD) and VD ₂ in children who visited the hospital from January 2022 to May 2023 were analyzed retrospectively. Additionally, the relationships between VD ₂ level and gender and age were further analyzed. Furthermore, for departments with a high frequency of VD detection, the VD ₂ deficiencies in children with different diseases were further analyzed.
Results: Among the different age groups, children aged 11-15 years exhibited the most severe VD ₂ deficiency, followed by those aged 7-10 years, 0-1 years, and 2-6 years. Moreover, 25(OH)D ₂ levels were significantly lower in children aged 7-10 years and 11-15 years compared with 2-6 years. Gender did not have an impact on the level of 25(OH)D ₂ . When analyzing the orthopedics, dermatology, thoracic surgery, and nephroimmunology departments' data on children's levels of 25(OH)D ₂ , it was found that an average of approximately 76.56% had levels below <1.5 ng/ml compared to individuals with levels between >15 ng/ml and 100 ng/ml. The average ratio between individuals with <1.5 ng/ml vs. those with <15 ng/ml was found to be 91.22%.
Conclusions: Children who came to the hospital were severely deficient in VD ₂ . The degree of deficiency was related to age, but there was no gender difference. The phenomenon of VD ₂ deficiency was reflected in children with both skeletal and non-skeletal diseases.
Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
(© 2024 Liu, An, An, Zhao, Zhang and Zhao.)