Pediatrics & Therapeutics
Open Access

Abstract

Evaluating the Frequency of Vitamin D Deficiency in the Pediatric Age Group and Identifying the Biochemical Predictors Associated with Vitamin D Deficiency

Zareen Fasih

Objective: To determine the frequency of Vitamin D deficiency in the Peadritic population Pakistan. To identify the biochemical predictors associated with Vitamin D deficiency.

Method: A cross sectional study was conducted in an urban tertiary care hospital, on, infants and children up to the age of 15 years who were seen in inpatient and in the outpatient department. Serum Vitamin D levels were measured along with a biochemical profile which included Serum Calcium, Serum Phosphate, Serum Alkaline Phosphate and Serum Parathyroid Hormone. The results were then analyzed using SPSS 20.

Results: Out of the 293 samples included in the study, frequency of children with Vitamin D deficiency was found out to be 77% (n = 227 ). 48% (N = 142) of the total sample had severe deficiency although showed no clinical signs of Rickets. Patients with Vitamin D deficiencies were also found out to have secondary hyperparathyroidism and hypophosphatemia although serum calcium levels were normal.

Conclusion: Through our study we found out that Majority of the children coming to Ziauddin were deficient in Serum Vitamin D. We suggest that adequate supplementation of Vitamin D should be started from an early age to prevent clinical effects of the deficiency in the long term.