Diet, clothing, sunshine exposure and micronutrient status of Arab infants and young children.
Vitamin C and D levels in Arab women and their newborn infants have been shown to be low. We investigated the prevalence of and risk factors for possible hypovitaminosis C and D in a convenience sample of 51 hospitalized children without clinical features of vitamin C or D deficiency. The mean age was 15.4 months. The serum vitamin C concentration was low in the mothers but normal in the children. Both mothers and children had low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) concentrations. Fifty per cent of the mothers and 22% of the infants and children had hypovitaminosis D (serum 25-OHD level < 25 nmol/l). Infants who received dietary vitamin D supplementation had a higher mean (SD) serum 25-OHD concentration than the unsupplemented group (62.5 (29.8) vs 38.5 (27.3), p = 001). Cutaneous light exposure in these children was poor. The children's serum 25-OHD concentration correlated with dietary vitamin D supplementation and maternal serum 25-OHD levels. The results suggest normal vitamin C status but a possible high prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in Arab children and their mothers in UAE. Health education to encourage greater sunshine exposure and improvement in maternal vitamin D stores and the availability of adequate vitamin D supplements would improve children's vitamin D status. The study indicates that hypovitaminosis D continues to be an important maternal and child health problem, despite the abundant sunshine.
Department of Paediatrics, FMHS, UAE University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. a.dawodu@uaeu.ac.ae
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Dawodu
K P
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Dawson
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Amirlak
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Kochiyil
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Agarwal
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Badrinath
D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D002112:Calcifediol / Q000097:blood; D003020:Clothing; D003906:Developing Countries; D004032:Diet; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013472:Sunlight; D014479:United Arab Emirates; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood*
D014807:Vitamin D; D002112:Calcifediol; D001205:Ascorbic Acid