role of vitamin d [25(oh) d] deficiency in development of pneumonia in children

Background: pneumonia is a leading cause of children’s morbidity and mortality worldwide. some studies have reported that vitamin d deficiency is associated with an increased incidence of lower respiratory illness requiring hospitalization. objectives: due to the weather conditions of guilan province, iran, in this study, we aimed at determining the relationship between serum level of vitamin d and developing pneumonia in children who were hospitalized due to pneumonia. methods: in this case-control study, children aged 3 months to 5 years admitted in 17 shahrivar hospital of rasht, iran, with pneumonia were compared with healthy children of the same age as the control group. serum levels of vitamin d in both groups were measured by chemiluminescence method. results: in this study, 40 children aged 3 months to 5 years with pneumonia (19 males and 21 females) and 40 healthy children of the same age (22 males and 18 females) were studied. the mean serum levels of vitamin d in the group with pneumonia and the control group was 26.16 ± 15.2 ng/ml and 30.45 ± 15.69 ng/ml, respectively. the difference between the 2 groups was not significant (t test, p value = 0.218). however, this difference was significant in the age group of 24 to 60 months (t test, p value = 0.015). conclusions: in this study, a significant relationship was observed between children’s vitamin d serum levels and development of pneumonia, only at the age of 24 to 60 months, although high prevalence of vitamin d deficiency in healthy children (control group) must be considered. the difference in the serum vitamin d levels of children with pneumonia and healthy children in the age group of 24 to 60 months suggest the need for preventive measures of vitamin d deficiency after infancy period.