Review the Research

Get summaries of key research on vitamin D and COVID-19

How did Vitamin D Levels of Children Change During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comparison of Pre-pandemic/Pandemic Periods due to Seasonal Differences 

Take Home Message

Vitamin D levels of healthy children (>6 years old) and adolescents decreased in the first year of the pandemic most likely due to the pandemic-related restrictions.

Results

    • The mean 25(OH)D levels among preschool children did not differ pre and post 
    • The vitamin D levels of school-aged children and adolescents were significantly lower in the pandemic period than in the pre-pandemic period in 6-12 age group (p=0.026); and in 12-18 age group (p=0.003)].  
    • The 25(OH)D levels of adolescents showed seasonal variance with lower levels in winter, and unexpectedly, in summer. 

Who

Healthy children (3033) and adolescents in Turkey who were admitted for general check-ups and evaluated with 25(OH)D levels.

Things to Keep in Mind

  • This study did not control for COVID-19 status or other issues that may have impacted vitamin D levels 
  • This study did not control diet or other factors that may have also changed during this time 
  • They did not assess what restrictions the participants were exposed to nor did they do a correlational study therefore the conclusion that the low status is due to the restrictions should be taken with skepticism 

Author’s Conclusions

Pandemic-related restrictions have caused significant decreases in vitamin D levels of school-aged children and adolescents. We suggest that children and adolescents should be given vitamin D supplementation in order to maintain sufficient levels of vitamin D during the pandemic.

Study Design

  • Vitamin D levels were compared pre and post pandemic in 3033 children aged 1 to 18 years 

Reference

Beyazgül G, Bağ Ö, Yurtseven İ, et al. How Vitamin D Levels of Children Changed During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comparison of Pre-pandemic and Pandemic Periods. J Clin Res Pediatr Endocrinol. 2022;14(2):188-195. doi:10.4274/jcrpe.galenos.2022.2021-10-6.

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2022-09-09T11:04:55-05:00