title: Vitamin D in childhood and adolescence.
abstract: It is well-established that prolonged and severe vitamin D deficiency leads to rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. More marginal vitamin D deficiency is likely to be a significant contributing factor to osteoporosis risk. However, recent emerging data from studies of adults suggest that low vitamin D status (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels <50 nmol/l) may be contributing to the development of various chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, some inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, and certain cancers. Adequacy of vitamin D status in children and adolescents has been the focus of a number of recent investigations, and these studies have shown a high prevalence of low vitamin D status during the winter (especially in adolescents), with lower prevalence during the summer. Therefore, consideration of potential corrective strategies to allow children and adolescents to maintain adequate vitamin D status throughout the year, even in the absence of adequate summer sun exposure, is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, Department of Medicine, University College, Cork, Ireland. k.cashman@ucc.ie
authors.forename: Kevin D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Cashman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D001847:Bone Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000502:physiology*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D