Vitamin D deficiency during COVID-19: a pediatric perspective
Vitamin D deficiency is one of
the most prevalent micronutrient deficiencies in the world. It has emerged as a
public health problem in many developing countries of the world including Bangladesh.
Over a billion people worldwide are vitamin D deficient. The worldwide
prevalence of vitamin D deficiency is 30-50% among children and even higher in
tropical countries.
A recent study conducted in
Bangladesh revealed that 75% of
Bangladeshi children have suboptimum vitamin D status. The study results
found that urban children are 76% more likely to have low vitamin status
compared to rural children.
Source of Vitamin D
In humans, the main source of vitamin D is obtained from sunlight. Small amounts of vitamin D can be obtained from oily fish like tuna, salmon, cod, hilsha, egg yolk, margarine and vitamin D fortified cereals.
Causes of Vitamin D defeciency
Our sedentary lifestyle with poor
exposure to sunlight results in vitamin D deficiency.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic with
prolonged school closure, children are staying most of the time at home are
deprived of sunlight and becoming vulnerable to vitamin D deficiency.
Air pollution is also another
cause of vitamin D deficiency in urban children and adults. Dhaka city is one
of the most polluted cities in the world which not only greatly contribute to
children developing pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses but also hampers
the bioavailability of optimum sunlight to manufacture adequate vitamin D.
During winter, vitamin D is
usually less available from sunlight due to dust, fog and smog in the
environment and people tend to stay at home.
Why Vitamin D is essential?
Vitamin D is essential for bone
health of children and adults which helps the deposition of calcium in bones to
make them strong. Vitamin D deficiency is traditionally thought to be analogous
to rickets (skeletal deformity in children) and bony defects (osteomalacia and
osteoporosis) in adults.
Healthy-looking children and
adults presenting with non-specific symptoms like limb pain, fatigue,
unexplained weakness and lethargy may have vitamin D deficiency with its
potential health problems.
Vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of developing many chronic non-communicable diseases in adults like diabetes, coronary heart diseases, cancer etc.
Better targeting of health resources to antenatal care, pregnant mothers and at-risk children, adolescents and adults regarding supplementation of Vitamin D3 is required.
Source:
https://academic.oup.com/qjmed/advance-article/doi/10.1093/qjmed/hcab202/6325519
Note: For informational purposes only. Consult your
textbook for advising your patients.
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