Children (Growth and Development)

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Children (Growth and Development)

Vitamin D plays an important role for proper growth and development during childhood. Not only does vitamin D build strong teeth and bones, but also it may strengthen the immune system and improve cardiovascular health. Research has found that low vitamin D levles in children corresponds with respiratory infections and dental issues.
In order to improve vitamin D status in children, it’s important to identify the risk factors associated with vitamin D deficiency. Researchers from the Netherlands2 assessed vitamin D levels in 4,167 children aged six years old to identify determinants of vitamin D deficiency.
The researchers found that 29.8% of the children were considered deficient (< 20 ng/mL), while 36.5% were considered sufficient (20-30 ng/mL). About one third of the children had what the researchers considered optimal vitamin D status (above 30 ng/mL).
The researchers identified non-modifiable risk factors associated with vitamin D deficiency such as the child’s age and race. The older the child was, the more likely they were to be deficient. African, Asian, Turkish, and Moroccan children were more likely to be deficient than those with a Dutch or other Western ethnic background.
The researchers also determined modifiable risk factors for low vitamin D levels. They found that children who watch television for two or more hours per day were 32% more likely to be vitamin D deficient than the children who watched less than two hours of television per day. Playing outside for at least one hour per day decreased the child’s risk for vitamin D deficiency by 29% compared to the children who played outside for less than one hour.
The researchers concluded, “… Important determinants of vitamin D deficiency included a higher child age, more television watching, less playing outside, less biking to school, lower maternal age, lower household income, multiparity, and higher maternal BMI.”
2. Spiro A, Buttriss J. Vitamin D: An overview of vitamin D status and intake in Europe. Nutrition Bulletin. 2014;Volume39(4):322-350.