Vitamin D Status of term exclusively breastfed infants and their mothers from India.
OBJECTIVE
(i) To measure 25-OH vitamin D levels in term infants at 10 weeks and 6 months and to correlate with maternal vitamin D levels at 10-week postpartum (ii) To evaluate infants at 6 months for rickets.


METHODS
A total of 179 exclusively breastfed infant-mother pairs 96 appropriate-for-gestational age (Group 1) and 83 small- for- gestational age infants (Group 2) recruited at 10 weeks. At 6 months, 52 in group 1 and 45 in group 2 were evaluated. Venous blood sample were collected at 10 weeks and 6 months in infants and at 10 weeks in mothers for calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase and 25-OH vitamin D estimation.


RESULTS
Mean 25-OH vitamin D levels of infants (n = 97) were 11.55 ± 7.17 ng/mL at 10 weeks and 16.96 ± 13.33 ng/mL at 6 months (p < 0.001). Mean vitamin D levels of infants in group 1 and group 2 did not differ at recruitment and 6 months (p > 0.05)). Maternal vitamin D levels in group 1 and group 2 were 8.89 ± 5.97 and 9.87 ± 6.44 ng/mL, respectively (p = 0.44). Significant correlation was observed between 25-OH vitamin D of infants and mothers (p < 0.05). At 10 weeks, 55.67% infants, 70% mothers and at 6 months, 44.33% infants had vitamin D < 11 ng/mL. At 6 months, 16.49% infants developed rickets.


CONCLUSIONS
Exclusively breastfed infants and their mothers are Vitamin D deficient, hence the need to improve vitamin D status.
Agarwal
N
N
Department of Pediatrics, University College of Medical Sciences, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India.
Faridi
M M A
MM
Aggarwal
A
A
Singh
O
O
D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D009035:Mothers; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000097:blood; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000097:blood*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D047929:Term Birth; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000175:diagnosis*
D014807:Vitamin D; D010758:Phosphorus; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D002118:Calcium