Open AccessVitamin D Deficiency Is Not Associated With Growth or the Incidence of Common Morbidities Among Tanzanian Infants
Author(s) -
Sudfeld Christopher R.,
Manji Karim P.,
Smith Emily R.,
Aboud Said,
Kisenge Rodrick,
Fawzi Wafaie W.,
Duggan Christopher P.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.206
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1536-4801
pISSN - 0277-2116
DOI - 10.1097/mpg.0000000000001658
Subject(s) - medicine , pediatrics , incidence (geometry) , wasting , underweight , vitamin d deficiency , population , vitamin d and neurology , respiratory tract infections , cohort study , prospective cohort study , vitamin a deficiency , diarrhea , malnutrition , vitamin , overweight , retinol , body mass index , respiratory system , environmental health , physics , optics
Objective: The objective of this study was to examine risk factors for vitamin D deficiency and determine the association of vitamin D status with child growth and incidence of common morbidities among Tanzanian infants. Methods: A prospective cohort of 581 Tanzanian infants born to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐uninfected mothers had serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D assessed at 6 weeks and 6 months of age. Infants were seen at monthly clinic visits for growth monitoring until 18 months of age. Physicians examined infants every 3 months or when an illness was noted to document morbidities. Results: The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/mL) declined from 76.4% at 6 weeks of age to 21.2% at 6 months. Infants who were exclusively breastfed at 6 weeks of age had 2.05 (95% confidence interval 1.11–3.79; P = 0.02) times the risk of vitamin D deficiency as compared formula‐fed infants. After multivariate adjustment, there was no association of vitamin D status at 6 weeks or 6 months with the incidence of stunting, wasting, or underweight. There was also no association of low vitamin D with the incidence of diarrhea, upper respiratory infection, acute lower respiratory tract infection, or malaria. Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency is common during early infancy, particularly among exclusively breastfed infants; however, these observational data suggest it may not be an important contributor to morbidity and growth among the general population of Tanzanian infants. Future studies of vitamin D among high‐risk infants, including those with low birthweight and exposed to HIV, may be warranted.