Prevention of rickets and osteomalacia in the UK: political action overdue.
Arch Dis Child. 2018 Apr 16. pii: archdischild-2018-314826. doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2018-314826. [Epub ahead of print]
Uday S1,2, Högler W1,2.
The consequences of vitamin D and dietary calcium deficiency have become a huge public health concern in the UK. The burden of disease from these deficiencies includes rickets, and hypocalcaemic seizures, dilated cardiomyopathy and mostly occult myopathy and osteomalacia. The increasing burden of the disease is intrinsically linked to ethnicity and the population demographic changes in the UK. Three facts have led to the resurfacing of the English disease: (1) the UK has no ultraviolet sunlight for at least 6 months of the year, (2) dark skin produces far less vitamin D than white skin per unit ultraviolet light exposure, and (3) non-European Union immigration over the last century. To date, the UK government demonstrates incomplete understanding of these three facts, and its failure to adjust its prevention programmes to changing demographics is endangering the health and life of UK residents with dark skin, of whom infants are the most vulnerable. Establishing accountability through the implementation of monitored antenatal and infantile supplementation programmes and mandatory food fortification is overdue.
Free PDF at http://sci-hub.tw/10.1136/archdischild-2018-314826
Has Europe map an lots of tables and suggestions of how to increased vitamin D levels
Items in both categories Infant-child and Europe are listed here:
- French children prescribed liquid vitamin D - daily, monthly and quarterly - Nov 2024
- French pediatric consensus: 30 – 60 ng of Vitamin D – Feb 2022
- 26 X increase in Vitamin D prescriptions for youths in England in 8 years – Dec 2019
- European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) found “paucity” of Vitamin D data for infants – Nov 2019
- Polish pediatric center: 40 percent took vitamin D – March 2019
- 34 percent increase in hospital admissions for low vitamin D in a single year (UK) – Feb 2019
- Romania joins Turkey in giving free Vitamin D to all infants – 2018
- Young white children helped by 1500 IU of vitamin D – Jan 2019
- UK infants are the least likely to get Vitamin D in Europe – political action overdue – April 2018
- When to start Vitamin D after European births - UK 180 days, many 6-31 days, the rest 1-5 days - Sept 2017
- 10X increase in cost of vitamin D per child-year in UK in 6 years - Aug 2017
- Vitamin D in European children – no consensus on “adequate” levels – April 2017
- High vitamin D levels in Romanian children – wonder why – May 2015
- 3X increase in UK children who are vitamin D deficient in just 5 years – Nov 2015
- Only 1 in 10 UK parents had been told about vitamin D by their child’s doctor – April 2015
- Only 1 in 4 UK children had EVER gotten vitamin D supplements – April 2015
- UK program to increase Vitamin D (Healthy Start) continues to be a farce - Nov 2014
- UK people and doctors still clueless about vitamin D – Survey Oct 2014
- 3X more kids were vitamin D deficient when entering UK hospitals than 4 years before – Oct 2014
- Vitamin D levels in Europe – Sept 2014
- Even after informing mothers of the importance of vitamin D supplementation few did so – Aug 2014
- Post-mortem analysis of children in London Hospital – only 1 child had adequate level of vitamin D – July 2014
- Danish study of childhood diseases vs vitamin D fortification – May 2013
- Presentation: pre and post natal vitamin D, with audience comments – Manchester UK Sept 2013
- Most European infants get vitamin D supplements, vs only 1 in 50 in US – June 2013
- UK Milk producer sets vitamin D day, yet UK milk rarely has vitamin D – March 31 2013
- Fewer than 15 percent of 5 year-olds getting vitamin D prescriptions in France – Nov 2012
- UK Day-Cares being offered grants to develop vitamin D methods – July 2012
- UK pediatricians have a lot to learn about vitamin D – May 2012
- Death of Babies in UK due to vitamin D deficiency – Jan 2012
- Nutritional Rickets in Denmark especially among immigrant children- Feb 2012
- Recommend 100 IU of vitamin D per kg of infant - Poland July 2011
- All babies in Ireland should have 200 IU of vitamin D - Feb 2011
- Chief UK Medical Officer recommends only 280 IU for children - Jan 2011