comparison of the vitamin d status of children younger and older than 2 years in tehran: are supplements really necessary?

Background: vitamin d is a vital lipid-soluble vitamin in the body, helping the growth and development of bones. vitamin d deficiency in children has several adverse effects. the most important preventative factor is determining the deficiency at an early stage and prescribing vitamin d-containing supplements. objectives: to investigate the vitamin d status of children younger and older than 2 years and determine the utility of prescribing vitamin d supplements. patients and methods: three hundred healthy children who attended the pediatric clinic for routine assessments were enrolled in this study. their parents were asked to complete a questionnaire, which included questions about demographics, nutrition, and supplements. blood levels of vitamin d, calcium, and phosphorus were then measured. results: the final study consisted of 286 children, 140 males and 146 females, with a mean age of 4.46 ± 2.82 yr. of these, 218 (76.22%) children, with a mean age of 5.09 ± 2.82 yr, had vitamin d deficiency, and 76 children (23.78%), with a mean age of 2.58 ± 1.88 yr, had normal vitamin d levels (p = 0.001). the mean level of vitamin d was 29.71 ± 14.42 ng/ml in 88 (30.8%) patients up to 2 years and 17.11 ± 14.02 ng/ml in 198 (69.2%) patients older than 2 years (p = 0.0001). conclusions: the vitamin d levels of children aged more than 2 years are lower than those of children aged less than 2 years. thus, prescribing vitamin dcontaining supplements in children older than 2 years may be beneficial.