Neonatal vitamin D status at birth at latitude 32 degrees 72': evidence of deficiency.
OBJECTIVE
With vitamin D deficiency as a serious public health problem, vitamin D status at birth was measured in neonates at latitude 32 degrees 72' (southeastern United States).


METHODS
In umbilical cord blood, vitamin D status, demonstrated by circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D, was measured and related to race and season of birth.


RESULTS
The mean+/-standard deviation of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in 100 cord blood samples was 13.5+/-8.3 ng/ml for the cohort. African-American infants, with a mean+/-standard deviation of 10.5+/-6.0 ng/ml, demonstrated significantly lower vitamin D status than Caucasian infants, with a mean+/-standard deviation of 19.5+/-9.6 ng/ml (P<0.0001). By season, the mean 25-hydroxyvitamin D level at birth in November-March compared to April-October was 11.3 ng/ml lower in Caucasian infants (from 29.0 to 17.7 ng/ml) and 3 ng/ml lower in African-American infants (from 13.1 to 10.1 ng/ml).


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency is high in this cohort. African-American infants demonstrate significantly lower vitamin D status at birth than Caucasian infants. Seasonality, while significant in both groups, had a greater impact on the vitamin D status of Caucasian newborns.
Basile
L A
LA
Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.
Taylor
S N
SN
Wagner
C L
CL
Quinones
L
L
Hollis
B W
BW
D001741:Black or African American; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D006887:Hydroxycholecalciferols / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D012621:Seasons; D014481:United States; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood* / Q000208:ethnology*; D044465:White People
D006887:Hydroxycholecalciferols