Children getting 60,000 IU monthly got to vitamin D level of 33 ng – Sept 2015

1111Efficacy and safety of a single monthly dose of cholecalciferol in healthy school children.
J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. 2015 Sep 3. pii: /j/jpem.ahead-of-print/jpem-2015-0187/jpem-2015-0187.xml. doi: 10.1515/jpem-2015-0187. [Epub ahead of print]
Kuchay MS, Jevalikar GS, Mithal A, Mishra SK, Dang N.

OBJECTIVE:
This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a single monthly dose of cholecalciferol in healthy school children.

METHODS:
A total of 118 children of class VI of a residential school were selected to receive vitamin D supplementation in the form of oral cholecalciferol 60,000 IU monthly. Serum calcium and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels were estimated at 0 and 12 months. The proportion of subjects achieving vitamin D sufficiency was assessed.

RESULTS:
The mean 25OHD levels increased significantly from 12.04±5.27 ng/mL at baseline to 32.6±7.05 ng/mL after 12 months of supplementation (p<0.001). None developed hypercalcemia.

CONCLUSIONS:
Vitamin D supplementation in the doses of 60,000 IU monthly is a reasonable, safe and cost-effective regimen for children to attain and maintain vitamin D sufficiency.

PMID: 26353168

Publisher wants $30 for the PDF

---

Note: Previous studies have found that the benefit decreases somewhat when dosing frequency is > 21 days.

50,000 every three weeks would probably be better, but not as easy to remember

Are these 6th grade children?
Dose is related to body weight.

See also Vitamin D Life

• Infant-Child category listing has 606 items along with related searches
• Bone fractures in children requiring surgery were 55X more likely with low vitamin D – June 2015
• Third study found that Infants needed 1600 IU of vitamin D – JAMA RCT May 2013
  which is a total of 48,000 IU every month