Vitamin D, infantile Infections linked
Insufficient levels of vitamin D at the time of birth are associated with a higher risk of developing infantile Lung Infections, a new study suggests.
The findings showed that most of the children who developed a lower respiratory tract infection secondary to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) had lower levels of vitamin D at birth.
More than a quarter of the studied infants had vitamin D levels lower than 20 ng/mL at birth, wrote researchers in the journal of Pediatrics, adding that the risk of developing RSV infection was 6 times higher in these babies.
RSV, the major cause of serious lung infection in infants, is responsible for the majority of bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways in the lung) and pneumonia reported among US children in the first year of their life.
"We demonstrated that 54 percent of healthy newborns in the Netherlands are born with insufficient concentrations required for maximum health, and that low plasma concentrations are associated with increased risk of RSV lower-respiratory tract infections in the first year of life," researchers added.
Most western countries have similar prevalence of newborns and infants with low vitamin D levels, whereas severe deficiency is more common in developing countries.
The new finding suggests that getting enough vitamin D during pregnancy may possibly lower the chance of RSV infection in infants.
Experts recommend the consumption of vitamin D doses as high as 4000 IU per day during pregnancy to maintain optimal maternal and neonatal health.
However, health experts warn about the side effects of giving extra vitamin D to children. The FDA warned last June that giving babies doses higher than 400 IU per day could cause nausea, vomiting, frequent urination, and even kidney disease.
Source:presstv.ir
