title: Vitamin D status among immigrant mothers from Pakistan, Turkey and Somalia and their infants attending child health clinics in Norway.
abstract: High prevalences of vitamin D deficiency have been reported in non-Western immigrants moving to Western countries, including Norway, but there is limited information on vitamin D status in infants born to immigrant mothers. We aimed to describe the vitamin D status and potentially correlated factors among infants aged 6 weeks and their mothers with Pakistani, Turkish or Somali background attending child health clinics in Norway. Eighty-six healthy infants and their mothers with immigrant background were recruited at the routine 6-week check-up at nine centres between 2004 and 2006. Venous or capillary blood was collected at the clinics from the mother and infant, and serum separated for analysis of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (s-25(OH)D) and intact parathyroid hormone (s-iPTH). The mean maternal s-25(OH)D was 25.8 nmol/l, with 57 % below 25 nmol/l and 15 % below 12.5 nmol/l. Of the mothers, 26 % had s-iPTH>5.7 pmol/l. For infants, mean s-25(OH)D was 41.7 nmol/l, with 47 % below 25 nmol/l and 34 % below 12.5 nmol/l. s-25(OH)D was considerably lower in the thirty-one exclusively breast-fed infants (mean 11.1 nmol/l; P < 0.0001). Use of vitamin D supplements and education showed a positive association with maternal s-25(OH)D. There was no significant association between mother's and child's s-25(OH)D, and no significant ethnic or seasonal variation in s-25(OH)D for mothers or infants. In conclusion, there is widespread vitamin D deficiency in immigrant mothers and their infants living in Norway. Exclusively breast-fed infants who did not receive vitamin D supplements had particularly severe vitamin D deficiency.
authors.affiliation: Institute of General Practice and Community Medicine, University of Oslo, PO Box 1130, Blindern, N-0318 Oslo, Norway. a.a.madar@medisin.uio.no
authors.forename: Ahmed A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Madar
authors.forename: Lars C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Stene
authors.forename: Haakon E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Meyer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001942:Breast Feeding; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004522:Educational Status; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007229:Infant Welfare; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009035:Mothers; D009664:Norway; D010154:Pakistan / Q000208:ethnology; D011247:Pregnancy; D015995:Prevalence; D012998:Somalia / Q000208:ethnology; D014421:Turkey / Q000208:ethnology; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014815:Vitamins; D014807:Vitamin D