[Local Data] Vitamin D status among infants in Hong Kong from a pilot study
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General Nutrition
Paediatrics
Vitamin D status has been linked to various health conditions and this local study aimed to reveal vitamin D deficiency among infants in Hong Kong.
Background
- Vitamin D insufficiency among pediatric populations has been an issue over the globe
- This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among local healthy infants
Study Design
- A single-center pilot study
Subjects
- 269 healthy Chinese infants in the postnatal wards of the Prince of Wales Hospital were enrolled
Method
- At 3 months of age,
- Infants’ serum vitamin D level was measured
- Questionnaires were filled
- Infants were excluded from analysis if they had health problems like congenital anomalies and malabsorption; they were taking medicines interfering vitamin D level; or if their mothers had been treated with vitamin D within 6 month of the current gestation
Key Findings
- 155 (75 males and 80 females) out of 269 infants completed the study
- No infant was supplemented with vitamin D
- The mean serum vitamin D level at 3 months was 58 nmol/L (Interquartile range, 32-75)
- 33.5% of the infants (52 out of 155) had vitamin D deficiency (serum vitamin D level < 50 nmol/L)
- Severe deficiency (serum vitamin D level < 25 nmol/L) was noted in 21.9% of the infants (34 out of 155)
- Exclusive breastfeeding is related to vitamin D deficiency while the duration of breastfeeding is inversely correlated with the serum vitamin D status at 3 months
Conclusion
Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent among local health infants and exclusive breastfeeding is a key factor related to vitamin D status
Link to the full article: http://www.hkmj.org/system/files/hkm1803sp3p32.pdf
Reference
Chan KC, Tam WH, Chan MH, Chan RS, Li AM. Vitamin D deficiency among healthy infants in Hong Kong: a pilot study. Hong Kong Med J. 2018;24 Suppl 3(3):32-35.
WYE-EM-353-SEP-18
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