[Local Data] Vitamin D status among infants in Hong Kong from a pilot study

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