Does vitamin D supplementation benefit low birthweight infants?

January 01, 0001

Does vitamin D supplementation benefit low birthweight infants?

There has been much interest in vitamin D supplementation, but most of the supporting studies have occurred in developed countries. These Indian and British investigators examined vitamin D supplementation and its affects on low birthweight infants in a lower income country. They performed a randomized controlled trial in an Indian hospital enrolling term low birthweight infants (n=2079). The trial arm received weekly vitamin D supplements of 35 µg/week for 6 months. Enrollees were both observed at home for compliance and had monthly office visits.

The researchers found: "Between group differences were not significant for death or hospital admissions (92 among 1039 infants in the vitamin D group v 99 among 1040 infants in the placebo group, adjusted rate ratio 0.93), or referral to the outpatient clinic for moderate morbidity. Vitamin D supplementation resulted in better vitamin D status as assessed by plasma calcidiol levels at six months. In adjusted analyses, vitamin D treatment significantly increased standard deviation (z) scores at six months for weight, length, and arm circumference and decreased the proportion of children with stunted growth (length for age z score =2) or with arm circumference z scores of 2 or less."

The researchers concluded: "A weekly dose of vitamin D resulted in better vitamin D status and benefited the classic vitamin D function of bone growth but did not decrease the incidence of severe morbidity or death among young low birthweight infants"

Vitamin D supplementation may have benefits for bone growth, but not for morbidity or mortality, in low birthweight infants.

For the full abstract, click here.

BMJ 342:d2975, 31 May 2011 © 2011 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.
Effect of weekly vitamin D supplements on mortality, morbidity, and growth of low birthweight term infants in India up to age 6 months: randomised controlled trial. Geeta Trilok Kumar, Harshpal Singh Sachdev, Harish Chellani, et al. Correspondence to G T Kumar: [email protected]

Category: A. General/Unspecified. Keywords: vitamin D, supplementation, low birthweight, bone growth, mortality, randomized controlled trial, journal watch.
Synopsis edited by Dr Paul Schaefer, Toledo, Ohio. Posted on Global Family Doctor 14 June 2011

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