Posted on 07/21/2009 8:48:44 AM PDT by neverdem
BOSTON — The high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency found in a cohort of healthy children in a sunny Southwestern climate has prompted a call by the study's investigators for generalized routine screening of vitamin D levels among all children.
In a study designed to assess vitamin D levels in children living in a region with year-round sunshine and to compare vitamin D levels in children with vague musculoskeletal pain with those of children without pain, Dr. Elizabeth A. Szalay and her colleagues at the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque retrospectively studied the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels of 77 healthy children who were seen for musculoskeletal pain but who lacked a concrete diagnosis to explain their pain (pain group). They also prospectively obtained serum 25(OH)D levels from 35 healthy children without pain.
The study included healthy children aged 2-16 years old who were freely ambulatory and could play outside as they chose. It excluded children with any endocrinopathy and those taking medications that affect vitamin D metabolism, Dr. Szalay said at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America.
The study population (mean age, 9 years) included 66 girls and 46 boys, and was primarily Hispanic (59) and white (37). The average 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels for the pain and control groups were not statistically different, at 28 ng/mL and 31 ng/mL.
The mean 25(OH)D level was 29 ng/mL. “While there is no consensus on optimal serum vitamin D levels in children, optimal calcium absorption is seen between 40 and 100 ng/mL,” she said. “Vitamin D deficiency is defined by most experts as a [25-hydroxyvitamin D] level less than 20 ng/mL.”
Collectively, only 13% of the children had vitamin D levels in the optimal range, while 33% had levels from 30 to 39 ng/mL, 35% had levels from 20 to 29 ng/mL, 16% had levels from 10 to 19 ng/mL, and 3% had levels less than 10 ng/mL—the level at which rachitic changes may occur.
The findings seem to suggest that modern lifestyles, even among children living in sun-rich regions, may be taking an ever greater toll on pediatric vitamin D levels and indirectly on pediatric bone health, said Dr. Szalay.
“Concern over hypovitaminosis D in children is warranted and routine screening should, at the very least, be considered,” said Dr. Szalay, who reported having no conflicts of interest.
It’s hard to get sun when you are sitting in front of a video game.
Plus the parents are covering up every square inch of exposed skin with sunscreen and/or sunproof shirts.
Hmmmm.....my doc wants MY Vit D level up around 60...it's now around 38....and I take loads of Vitamin D3 every day. (4400iu) And, I'm outside at least an hour a day.....
My friend’s doctor told her that Arizona has one of the highest rates of Vitamin D deficiency.
YEP....I saw a comment somewhere that the correlation between sunscreen use and skin cancer sure is high....I don’t use sunscreen, unless I’m really at a high elevation on a sunny day....people are too afraid of the sun.
My family has been on Vit D supplements after reading about how it may bolster protection against flu virus infection
Cheap insurance
This is so true.
Amen. And when they are outside they are slathered with sunblock. In addition, there are not really good food sources for D and only about 100 iu are in one glass of milk (I think that’s the number, it’s something like that). So, anyone not getting a good dose of sunlight several times per week is likely not getting enough D. I had mine tested because of neuropathy and I was very low. I have been taking 1000 per day and have seen some improvement in joint pain.
Wonder if you have something else going on?
Don’t know about “something else” but, I have NO pain....and no colds/flu....and I’m 58. My doc is on leading edge....preventative....so....him wanting a high level of Vit D would fit with his practices.
Maybe so. I had lots of symptoms, and I don’t think D is the whole story, but it seems to have helped some.
ping
Hmm... I just got all this blood work done because I wasn’t feelig right - My vitamin D levels are at 20 and very low - I’m now on a front load of 50,000 mg (not a typo) of Vitamin D - take one pill a week for 6 weeks and will get retested...
I guess I’m a vampire? For the first time my doctor said GET SOME SUN - never had a problem before - play soccer outside and everything I’m about 28 yrs. old
Last fall I was at 9. 50,000 iu of D2 once a week for 8 weeks, then to every other week, plus 2-3,000 iu of D3 daily. In May I was up to 39.
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Was there a reason why? Glad to hear it’s gone up significantly BTW!
Bone problems and arthritis run in my family - not sure if that makes me a little more vulnerable than most...
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Again, it seems to do things in moderation and to avoid the extremes like no sun, no milk, sunblock on in the morning even before one goes outside.
It isn’t just kids and women, who suffer from calcium deficiencies. Men have problems too.
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