title: Prevalence and risk factors for vitamin D deficiency among Tanzanian HIV-exposed uninfected infants.
abstract: Vitamin D is essential for bone development and may also play an integral role in control of intracellular pathogens. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were assessed at 6 months of age for 191 HIV-exposed uninfected infants enrolled in a trial of multivitamins (not including vitamin D) in Tanzania. A total of 66 infants (34.6%) were classified as vitamin D deficient (<20 ng/ml), 93 (48.7%) as vitamin D insufficient (20-30 ng/ml) and 32 (16.8%) as vitamin D sufficient (≥30 ng/ml). Independent risk factors for vitamin D deficiency were sampling during the rainy season and infant wasting. Infant breastfeeding, maternal CD4 T-cell count, maternal wasting status and maternal receipt of antiretroviral therapy were not associated with vitamin D deficiency. Low levels of vitamin D were highly prevalent among HIV-exposed uninfected infants in Tanzania, and longitudinal studies and clinical trials of supplementation are needed to assess the impact on child health.
authors.affiliation: National AIDS Control Program, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Anath
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rwebembera
authors.forename: Christopher R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Sudfeld
authors.forename: Karim P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Manji
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Duggan
authors.forename: Said
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aboud
authors.forename: Wafaie W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Fawzi
mesh_terms: D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D013636:Tanzania / Q000453:epidemiology; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents; D014815:Vitamins; D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D
keywords: HIV; infant; risk factors; vitamin D; vitamin D deficiency