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| Catherine Gordon, MD, MSc |
"We were struck by the number of children in our study with suboptimal vitamin D levels," says Gordon. "Vitamin D status is not routinely checked as part of routine care, and the majority of the children did not show signs of rickets or other evidence of a deficiency, so it is concerning that this problem would have otherwise gone undetected."
In infants, the major predictor of deficiency was exclusive breastfeeding without vitamin D supplements. Infants in this category were 10 times more likely to be vitamin D deficient than infants who were exclusively bottle-fed. (Breast milk does contain vitamin D, but inadequate amounts for exclusively breastfed infants whereas formula and cow's milk are fortified with the vitamin.) In toddlers, the major risk factor was inadequate milk consumption: blood vitamin D levels increased in close correlation with the number of cups per day of milk the child drank.
"As a pediatrician, I am pleased that breastfeeding has become more common among new mothers," says Gordon. "Of concern, however, is the rise in cases of rickets accompanying this trend. Our data suggest the importance of vitamin D supplementation for young children, and particularly breast-fed infants."
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