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Children in Australian Northern Territory have 38 ng of vitamin D – Oct 2013

The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in children in the Northern Territory

Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health 22 OCT 2013, DOI: 10.1111/jpc.12413
Amanda Dyson1,†,*, Susan J Pizzutto2, Carolyn MacLennan1, Monique Stone1, Anne B Chang2

Aims: The primary aim of this study was to determine the frequency of vitD deficiency/insufficiency in an opportunistic sample of Northern Territory (NT) children. The secondary aim was to evaluate whether: (i) 25(OH)vitD (25(OH)D) levels differ between Indigenous/non-Indigenous children; and (ii) VitD insufficiency is associated with increased acute/infective hospitalisations.

Methods: Twenty-five (OH)D levels were measured in 98 children <16 years between August 2011 and January 2012 (children hospitalised acutely/non-acutely and well children from other studies based in Darwin). VitD deficiency was defined as 25(OH)D < 50 nmol/L, and insufficiency was postulated to be <75 nmol/L. Demographic data were collected, and computer records were reviewed.

Results: Median age was 59 months (range 2–161); 3.1% were vitD deficient, 19.4% insufficient. There was no significant difference in mean 25(OH)D level between Indigenous (93.2, standard deviation (SD) 21.9, n = 42) and non-Indigenous (97.3, SD 27.9, n = 56) children (P = 0.32). Median number of hospitalisations/year were similar (P = 0.319) between vitD sufficient (0.34, range 0–12, n = 76) and insufficient (0.22, 0–6, n = 22) children. There was no significant difference between number of infective admissions per year between vitD sufficient/insufficient groups (P = 0.119).

Conclusions: Compared with US data (19% deficient, 65% insufficient) fewer NT children are vitD deficient/insufficient. In our limited sample, being vitD insufficient was not associated with increased acute/infective hospitalisations, but a larger unbiased sample of NT children is needed. More information is needed about the optimum level of vitD for non-bone-related health in children.




Image Image Image Image Image

Tropic of Capricorn = 22.5 degrees South Latitude
Darwin is at 12 degrees South Latitude

Global Vitamin D levels - Aug 2011 Not all of Australia has such high level of Vitamin D
Note:must divide map numbers by 2.5 to get to units of ng/ml
Image

Recall that the Ozone layer is thin over Australia - so much more UVB gets to the ground
UVB still does not get thru

Strongly suspect the children in the Northern Territories are outdoors a lot
Evolution seems to indicate a vitamin D level of 45-60 ng

Vitamin D vs Race at is.gd/vitD_race

Attached files

ID Name Comment Uploaded Size Downloads
3160 UVduring the day.png admin 22 Oct, 2013 30.27 Kb 1881
3159 UV Darwin.jpg admin 22 Oct, 2013 74.35 Kb 2013
3158 Allice Springs.jpg admin 22 Oct, 2013 102.75 Kb 2500
3156 uv- Australia.gif admin 22 Oct, 2013 13.33 Kb 1784
3155 australia-map Tropic of Capricorn.jpg admin 22 Oct, 2013 53.74 Kb 15742