title: Hypovitaminosis d and hypocalcemic seizures in infancy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hypocalcemia accounts for a majority of seizures in infants reporting to the emergency ward of our hospital.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the role of Vitamin D deficiency in the etiology of hypocalcemic seizures in infancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross sectional hospital based study, from April 2006-March 2007.
  
  
  METHODS
  60 infants with hypocalcemic seizures and their mothers (study group) and 60 healthy breastfed infants with their lactating mothers (control group).
  
  
  METHODS
  Vitamin D [25(OH) D] and intact para-thormone levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  High prevalence of hypovitaminosis D [25(OH)D levels <10 ng/mL] was observed in study mothers (85%), control mothers (50%), study infants (90%), and control infants (41.7%). Mean serum 25(OH) D values in study mothers and their infants (6.54 +/- 5.32 ng/mL and 4.92 +/- 4.62 ng/mL) were significantly lower than those of mother-infant pairs (9.06 +/- 4.78 ng/mL and 9.03 +/- 4.63 ng/mL) in the control group (P<0.001). A strong positive correlation of 25(OH) D levels between mothers and their infants was seen in both the study and control populations (P<0.001). Of the 54 study infants who had 25(OH)D levels <10 ng/mL, 48 (89%) were born to mothers who also had 25(OH) D levels <10 ng/mL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vitamin D deficiency is a major cause of hypocalcemic seizures in infants. Infants born to vitamin D deficient mothers are at a significantly higher risk to develop hypocalcemic seizures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Kalawati Saran Hospital, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mehrotra
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Marwaha
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aneja
authors.forename: Anju
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Seth
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Singla
authors.forename: Ganie
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ashraf
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Aparna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sastry
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tandon
mesh_terms: D001942:Breast Feeding; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000097:blood; D012640:Seizures / Q000209:etiology*; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D010281:Parathyroid Hormone; D014807:Vitamin D; D002118:Calcium