Single high-dose vitamin D at birth corrects vitamin D deficiency in infants in Mexico
International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition online on Jan 13, 2015. (doi:10.3109/09637486.2014.992006)
Amaran Moodley, and Stephen A. Spector
1 Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA and
2 Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego, CA, USA
Correspondence: Stephen A. Spector, MD, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, Stein Clinical Research Building, MC 0672, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0672, USA. Tel: +858 534 7170. Fax: +858 534 7411. E-mail: saspector@ucsd.edu
100% of infants had < 30 at birth (and 71% of mothers)
50,000 IU Vitamin D3 once at birth
| 2 month | 6 month | |
| No Vitamin D | 24 ng | 27 ng |
| VitD & Mixed milk | 33 ng | 37 ng |
| Vit D & Breast fed only | 15 ng | ? |
15 ng Suspect a publishing error – very unlikely that adding vitamin D would lower the vitamin D level in breast fed infants.
This study examined the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in mothers and infants in Tijuana, Mexico and determined the effect of a single oral dose of 50 000 IU vitamin D3 at birth on 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels during infancy. Healthy infants were randomized to receive vitamin D3 or placebo at birth.
At birth 23% of infants were vitamin D deficient and 77% had vitamin D insufficiency (mean 25[OH]D level 18.9 ng/ml); 10% of mothers were vitamin D deficient and 61% were insufficient.
Infants receiving vitamin D3 had higher 25(OH)D levels at two months (N = 29; 33.9 versus 24.2 ng/ml) and six months (N = 21; 36.5 versus 27.4 ng/ml).
Exclusively breastfed infants had lower 25(OH)D levels at two months (14.9 versus 33.4 ng/ml). Vitamin D deficiency is common in infants and mothers in Tijuana, Mexico. A single dose of vitamin D3 at birth was safe and significantly increased 25(OH)D levels during infancy.