Vitamin D assessment in asymptomatic children one month to 2 years attending a Tertiary Care Hospital's Well Baby Clinic for Immunization.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the frequency of vitamin D deficiency among asymptomatic children aged 1 month to 2 years visiting the well-baby clinic at a tertiary care hospital for immunization. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: The Well-baby Clinic of the National Institute of Child Health (NICH) in Karachi, Pakistan. Period: March 13, 2020, to September 12, 2020. Methods: The study included all asymptomatic children between 1 month and 2 years of age, with height and weight within 2 SD above and below the mean, attending the well-baby clinic for immunization. A blood sample was collected to assess serum 25 OH vitamin D levels. Frequencies and percentages were calculated for qualitative variables, including sex, feeding patterns, maternal and paternal education, sunlight exposure, socioeconomic status, and vitamin D deficiency. The mean and standard deviation (SD) were calculated for continuous variables such as age, height, and weight. Results: The mean age of the children in the study was 8.22 ± 4.77 months. A higher proportion of females (57%) were included in the study. Most mothers (72.5%) had an illiterate education status, while most fathers (47.7%) had a primary level education. A majority of children (53.7%) had over 30 minutes of sunlight exposure per week. Vitamin D deficiency was found in 17 (11.4%) of the children studied. Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency was found to be prevalent in 11.4% of asymptomatic children aged 1 month to 2 years attending the well-baby clinic for immunization. This highlights the need for increased awareness and screening for vitamin D deficiency in pediatric populations, even in the absence of symptoms.