Vitamin D Levels in Children Admitted to the Endocrine Outpatient Clinic

Vitamin D regulates calcium and phosphorus metabolism. Vitamin D deficiency results in rickets and it has been reported that vitamin D plays role in the development of autoimmune diseases, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, many kinds of cancer and heart diseases. Herein, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and associated factors by evaluating the records of the patients whose vitamin D levels [25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH D)] were determined in our endocrine clinic.\udMaterials and Methods: During winter between January and April, the hospital records of children and adolescents whose age ranged from 3 to 18 years among 171 patients were investigated. Vitamin D levels higher than the 20 ng/mL were defined as normal, <12 ng/mL were defined as deficient, 12-20 ng/mL as insufficient.\udResults: The mean age of the patients was 11.78±4 (3-18) years. Hundred and thirty patients were in pubertal period and 41 patients were in prepubertal period. Diagnoses were type 1 diabetes in 40 patients, obesity in 47 patients and other endocrine diseases in 84 patients. Twenty three patients (13.4%) had normal vitamin D levels. In 148 patients (86.6%), 25-OH D levels were <20 ng/mL. Eighty eight (51.5%) of these patients had vitamin D deficiency and 60 (35.1%) patients were found to have vitamin D insufficiency. 25-OH D levels were lower in girls than in boys and lower in pubertal children than in prepubertal children (p<0.01; p<0.05), respectively. Vitamin D levels in diabetics and in the obese were lower than the other disease groups (in both p<0.01).\udConclusions: Children and adolescents with endocrine diseases have a relatively high frequency of vitamin D deficiency during winter. These findings suggest that vitamin D prophylaxis programs should be applied not only to the previously identified risk groups but also to all children and adolescents with chronic diseases