Acute lower respiratory infection 5X more frequent with low vitamin D intake

Vitamin D intake in young children with acute lower respiratory infection

Karen S Leis, J Dayre McNally, Matthew R Montgomery, Koravangattu Sankaran, Chandima Karunanayake, Alan M Rosenberg

Translational Pediatrics

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/day (OR 4.9 , 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.

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Very pleased to see that this study considered how much vitamin D the child was taking vs weight

various groups, such as in Poland recommend 100 IU/kg daily

Editorial in same issue Vitamin D is a friend of younger children

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• Breathing category with ACUTE in title