Factors influencing serum vitamin d concentration in turkish children residing in İzmir: A single-center experience

Objective: the aim of this study was to examine the vitamin d status of children and to determine the factors influencing serum 25-hydroxyvitamin d [25(oh)d] concentration in turkish infants living in izmir. methods: in this study,we examined the serum 25(oh)d levels of 100 infants aged 1 to 24 months and of 22 mothers from izmir,turkey. the study also included a questionnaire given to the mothers to acquire data on the demographic characteristics of the infants and their mothers as well as information on vitamin d supplementation,clothing habits,and sunlight exposure. results: vitamin d deficiency was present in 31% of infants and 81.8% of mothers. twenty-four male (42.9%) and 7 female (15.9%) infants were found to be vitamin d deficient (<20 mg/dl); 9 male (16.1%) and 17 female (38.6%) infants to be vitamin d insufficient (20-30 mg/dl); and 23 male (41.1%) and 20 female (45.5%) infants were vitamin d sufficient (>30 mg/dl). only 63% of the infants were receiving vitamin d supplementation and 52% were said to be having regular exposure to sunlight. mean serum vitamin d levels were lower in infants whose mothers were dressed according to the culture of traditional covered clothing (44%) compared to those infants whose mothers’ dressing style provided more exposure to sunlight. conclusion: we conclude that low exposure to sunlight,inadequate use of vitamin d supplementation,and large family size are factors influencing the vitamin d status of turkish children living in the inner city of izmir. © journal of clinical research in pediatric endocrinology,published by galenos publishing.