title: Occurrence of vitamin D deficiency in pediatric patients at high risk in West Virginia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent and is increasingly associated with the development of medical conditions both related and unrelated to bone metabolism. The purpose of this study was to examine vitamin D deficiency in patients of a pediatrics subspecialty practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study consisted of a retrospective chart review of patients aged 2 to 18 years who were referred to the West Virginia University Physicians of Charleston pediatrics subspecialty group with a diagnosis of obesity, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, hypertension, or cystic fibrosis. All of the patients had 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels measured from 2007-2009. Seventy-six patients met inclusion criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 23.7% of patients were vitamin D deficient (≤ 20 ng/mL). Children with vitamin D deficiency were older and had higher rates of obesity than those with nondeficient vitamin D levels. The comorbidities of cystic fibrosis, diabetes, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease did not associate with vitamin D deficiency.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vitamin D deficiency is common in children in West Virginia and is associated with increasing age and obesity. Vitamin D screening and supplementation should be considered in all children with chronic illness, particularly those who are overweight.
authors.affiliation: Divisions of Adolescent Medicine and Nephrology, West Virginia University, Charleston, WV 25302, USA.
authors.forename: Christy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: Myra
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.forename: Stephanie N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Stephen B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Sondike
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D051436:Renal Insufficiency, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014903:West Virginia / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D