The association between vitamin D levels and the clinical severity and inflammation markers in pediatric COVID-19 patients: single-center experience from a pandemic hospital
European Journal of Pediatrics (2021) https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-021-04030-1
Elvan Bayramoğlu, Gülşen Akkoç, Ayşe Ağbaş, Özlem Akgün, Kamer Yurdakul, Hatice Nilgün Selçuk Duru & Murat Elevli
Note: No COVID-19 vaccine is expected to be available to children until 2022
Consider increasing vitamin D levels in children so as to reduce COVID-19 risk until vaccine is available
Items in both categories Virus and Infant/Child:
- Hospitalized children with COVID-19 and inflammation had lower vitamin D – March 2021
- Severe childhood COVID-19 associated with Vitamin D deficiency (hospital in Finland) – March 2021
- Vitamin D might reduce Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in children – March 2021
- 87 percent of children with COVID–19 had low vitamin D (small study) – Feb 2021
- Vaccinations resulted in increased office visits for children 16 months later - Nov 2020
- 13 possible reasons why COVID-19 is less severe in children – Dec 1, 2020
- Vitamin D associated with reduced COVID-19 risks in children - GRH Nov 2020
- Children with low vitamin D far more likely to hospitalized with COVID-19 – Oct 2020
- Respiratory viral infection (RSV) and low vitamin D – July 2020
- Increased weight in children 8X more likely for each unit increase in adenovirus (if ignore Vitamin D) – Nov 2019
- Severe hand, foot, and mouth virus is 2.9 X more likely if poor Vitamin D receptor – Oct 2018
- More US infants die in 1st day than in all other developed countries COMBINED (and US gives vaccine in first day) – May 2013
- Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease (virus) strongly associated with low vitamin D – May 2017
- Half the risk of Influenza -A in infants taking 1200 IU of vitamin D for 4 months – RCT Jan 2018
- Child is 2 X more likely to get influenza if have older sibling (perhaps closely-spaced birth) – Sept 2017
COVID-19 treated by Vitamin D - studies, reports, videos
As of May 1 the page had: 34 trials, 5 trial results, 17 meta-analyses and reviews, 56 observations, 34 recommendations, 53 associations, 86 speculations, 44 videos see related: Governments, HealthProblems, Hospitals, Dark Skins, 26 risk factors are ALL associated with low Vit D, Recent Virus pages Fight COVID-19 with 50K Vit D weekly Vaccine problems
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Vitamin D has an immunomodulating property that regulates the inflammatory response. In this study, the aim was to evaluate the relationship between vitamin D levels and clinical severity and inflammation markers in children and adolescents with COVID-19. The clinical and laboratory records of 103 pediatric cases with COVID-19, whose vitamin D levels had been measured, were retrospectively reviewed. The cases were divided into groups according to their clinical severity (asymptomatic, mild, and moderate-to-severe) and vitamin D levels. The moderate-to-severe clinical group had significantly higher inflammation markers (CRP, procalcitonin, fibrinogen, D-dimer) and a lower lymphocyte count compared to both the mild and asymptomatic groups. The 25 OH vitamin D levels were also significantly lower (p < 0.001), and the ratio of vitamin D deficiency was 70.6% in the moderate-to-severe group. The vitamin D–deficient group had a significantly higher age and fibrinogen levels while also having a lower lymphocyte count compared to the insufficient and normal groups. The 25 OH vitamin D level was correlated positively with the lymphocyte count (r = 0.375, p = <0.001), and negatively with age (r = −0.496, p = <0.001), CRP (r = −0.309, p = 0.002) and fibrinogen levels (r = −0.381, p = <0.001). In a logistic regression analysis, vitamin D deficiency, D-dimer, and fibrinogen levels on admission were independent predictors of severe clinical course.
Conclusion: This study revealed an association between vitamin D deficiency and clinical severity, in addition to inflammation markers in pediatric COVID-19 cases. Prophylactic vitamin D supplementation may be considered, especially in the adolescent age group.
What is Known:
- The pathology of COVID-19 involves a complex interaction between the SARS-CoV-2 and the immune system. Hyperinflammation/cytokine storm is held responsible for the severity of the disease.
- Vitamin D has multiple roles in the immune system that can modulate the body reaction to an infection.
What is New:
- Clinically more severe group had significantly lower vit D levels and significantly higher inflammation markers.
- Lower 25 OH vit D levels were associated with higher inflammation markers, suggesting an important role of vitamin D in the clinical course of COVID-19 in children and adolescents probably by regulating the systemic inflammatory response.