Anales de Pediatria
Volume 82, Issue 5, 2015, Pages 316-324

Plasma vitamin D levels in native and immigrant children under the age of 6 years of different ethnic origins [Niveles plasmáticos de vitamina D en población autóctona y en poblaciones inmigrantes de diferentes etnias menores de 6 años de edad] (Article)

Sánchez Muro J.M. , Yeste Fernández D.* , Marín Muñoz A. , Fernández Cancio M. , Audí Parera L. , Carrascosa Lezcano A.
  • a Area Bàsica de Salut, Pediatría, Salt, Girona, Spain
  • b Servicio de Endocrinología Pediátrica, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
  • c Area Bàsica de Salut, Pediatría, Salt, Girona, Spain
  • d Servicio de Endocrinología Pediátrica, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
  • e Servicio de Endocrinología Pediátrica, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
  • f Servicio de Endocrinología Pediátrica, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Abstract

Introduction Nutritional rickets is an emergent disease in Spain, and occurs particularly in black and dark-skinned infants and children from immigrant populations. The aim of this work was to ascertain the vitamin D reserve in a population of native and immigrant children under the age of 6 years. Population and methods A prospective study was conducted at a Primary Healthcare Centre in Salt (Girona). Patients: 307 children with the following origin and race distribution: Caucasian (n = 85; 28%), Sub-Saharan (n = 101; 32.5%); Maghrebí (n = 87, 28.0%); Central-American (n = 20; 6.4%) and Indo-Pakistani (n = 14; 4.5%). The biochemistry blood parameters studied were: calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase, 25-hydroxivitamin D, and parathormone. A nutritional survey was used to estimate calcium and vitamin D intake and degree of sun exposure. Results Vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/ml) was detected in Caucasians (8%), Sub-Saharans (18%), Central-Americans (20%), Maghrebís (34.5%), and Indo-Pakistanis (64%). Of the children studied (n = 9), 2.9% had serious vitamin D deficiency (< 10 ng/ml); only one child of Sub-Saharan origin met the biochemical criteria for classical rickets. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was significantly higher in children not receiving vitamin D supplements in the first year of life. Conclusions Plasma vitamin D concentrations were deficient in 22.5% of children under the age of six, being more prevalent in children of Indo-Pakistani and Maghrebí origin. © 2014 Asociación Española de Pediatría.

Author Keywords

Vitamin D Rickets Vitamin D deficiency Child population Immigration

Index Keywords

prospective study immigrant Caucasian health survey phosphorus vitamin blood level Prospective Studies human enzyme blood level Ethnic Groups Vitamin D ethnic group comparative study nutritional assessment Central American Calcium alkaline phosphatase Humans migrant parathyroid hormone 25 hydroxyvitamin D male Emigrants and Immigrants Spain preschool child female Infant Child, Preschool sun exposure race prevalence vitamin D deficiency Article blood major clinical study hormone blood level vitamin supplementation nutritional status Child
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84929050662&doi=10.1016%2fj.anpedi.2014.05.007&partnerID=40&md5=e24cc66f4e0913f7b3a28dc5acb01c19
DOI: 10.1016/j.anpedi.2014.05.007
ISSN: 16954033
Cited by: 6
Original Language: Spanish