Effects of ethnicity and vitamin D supplementation on vitamin D status and changes in bone mineral content in infants.

BMC Pediatr. 2012 Jan 16;12:6.

Abrams SA, Hawthorne KM, Rogers SP, Hicks PD, Carpenter TO.

Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. sabrams@bcm.edu

BACKGROUND:

To evaluate the effects on serum 25(OH)D and bone mineralization of supplementation of breast-fed Hispanic and non-Hispanic Caucasian infants with vitamin D in infants in Houston, Texas.

METHODS:

We measured cord serum 25(OH)D levels, bone mineral content (BMC), bone mineral density (BMD) and their changes over 3 months of life with 400 IU/day of vitamin D3 supplementation.

RESULTS:

Cord serum 25(OH)D was significantly lower in Hispanic than non-Hispanic Caucasian infants (16.4 ± 6.5 ng/mL, n = 27, vs 22.3 ± 9.4 n = 22, p = 0.013). Among 38 infants who completed a 3 month vitamin D supplementation intervention, provision of 400 IU/day of vitamin D increased final 25(OH)D to a higher level in non-Hispanic Caucasian compared to Hispanic infants. There was no significant relationship between cord serum 25(OH)D and BMC or BMD in the first week of life (n = 49) or after 3 months of vitamin D supplementation.

CONCLUSION:

Low cord 25(OH)D levels are seen in Hispanic infants, but their functional significance is uncertain related to bone health in a southern US setting. Daily vitamin D intake of 400 IU during the first months of life appears adequate to increase serum 25(OH)D and support BMC increases despite low initial 25(OH)D levels in some infants.

TRIAL REGISTRATION:

ClincalTrials.gov NCT00697294.

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Summary

Caucasian Before 23 ng, after 38 ng, change 15 ng

Hispanic Before 17 ng, after 31 ng, change 14 ng

It appears that both increased a similar amount

Had started from and reached different levels.

We assume that breast milk provided little vitamin D

Perhaps the reason for low increase in Bone Mineral Content was that the infants lacked co-factors of vitamin D needed to build bones

Magnesium, vitamin K2, Boron, Strontium, Zinc, Silicon

PDF is attached at the bottom of this page

See also VitaminDWiki

• Vitamin D: Before, During, and After Pregnancy

• All items in category Infant-Child and Vitamin D

• Recommend 100 IU of vitamin D per kg of infant weight in Poland – July 2011

• 400 IU vitamin D daily was enough for most infants – Jan 2011

• Infants getting 1400 IU vitamin D weekly grew better – May 2011

• 400 IU vitamin D for breastfed - American Association of Pediatrics - Feb 2012

• A Finland study tried 2,000 IU dose for CHILDREN (10,000 children!)

  • They reported a significant decrease in type I diabetes decades later - NO toxicity, hypercalification, etc. etc.!