[Guideline Summary] Summary of ESPGHAN’s Position Paper on Vitamin D in Pediatric Nutrition

Background:

The ESPGHAN Committee on Nutrition published a position paper on vitamin D in the healthy pediatric population. Published data on vitamin D in the European pediatric population were searched and summarized up to Nov 2012.
 

Main points of summarized data:

• Identification of vitamin D status for pediatric population through the use of definitions:
  • Vitamin D sufficiency – serum 25(OH)D concentration > 50 nmol/L.
  • Vitamin D severe deficiency – serum 25(OH)D concentration < 25 nmol/L.
     
• Data on vitamin D intake and prevalence of vitamin D deficiency:
  • Data on vitamin D intake and deficiency among European pediatric population are limited.
  • In Germany, 80% of children aged 1 to 12 years do not reach their country's recommended nutritional vitamin D supply of 200 IU/day.
     
• Health effects of vitamin D in infants, children and adolescents:
  • Evidence to support or refute routine supplementation of vitamin D beyond infancy (birth to 12 months of age) is insufficient.
  • No relevant evidence for a beneficial effect of vitamin D supplementation on muscle function could be identified.
  • Current data is not sufficient to support a relationship between vitamin D and prevention of infectious or allergic diseases.

Link to PubMed

Reference

Braegger C, Campoy C, Colomb V, Decsi T, Domellof M, Fewtrell M, Hojsak I, Mihatsch W, Molgaard C, Shamir R, Turck D, van Goudoever J; ESPGHAN Committee on Nutrition. Vitamin D in the Healthy Paediatric Population: A Position Paper by the ESPGHAN Committee on Nutrition. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2013 Mar 6.

WYE-EM-004-JAN-15