title: Maternal vitamin-D deficiency in Pakistan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was performed to assess the vitamin D status of healthy Pakistani nursing mothers and their breastfed infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-one nursing mothers and their breastfed infants belonging to upper and lower socio-economic class were examined 6 weeks to 11 months after delivery. Serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D [25(OH)D], serum calcium, phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean serum 25(OH)D in mothers was 36.7+/-32.4 nmol/L and 41.25+/-35.4 nmol/ L in infants. Thirty-four (48%) mothers and 37 (52%) infants had levels less than 25 nmol/ L. Significantly higher levels were found in uneducated mothers (p=0.01), mothers of lower socio-economic class (p<0.001) and in those living in mud houses (p<0.001). A significant correlation was found between serum 25(OH)D levels of infants under three months of age and their mothers (p<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was found in nursing mothers and their infants predominantly in the upper socioeconomic class.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Atiq
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Suria
authors.forename: S Q
authors.initials: SQ
authors.lastname: Nizami
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ahmed
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009035:Mothers; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology*