Poor vitamin D supplementation in infants. Cross-sectional study of maternal practices and awareness of vitamin D supplementation in infants in Al-Ahsa, Eastern Saudi Arabia.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the maternal practices and awareness of vitamin D supplementation in infants, and factors affecting these practices in Eastern Saudi Arabia.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted with 606 mothers attending community-based primary health centers in Al-Ahsa, Eastern Saudi Arabia between March and April 2012. A 22-item questionnaire was used to assess the socio-demographic data of both infants and mothers, feeding methods, nursing practices including vitamin D supplementation, and mothers' awareness regarding vitamin D supplementation in infants by face-to-face interview. Chi-squared test was used to assess significant differences among these practices. Significant variables were subjected to multiple logistic regression. A p-value of 0.05 was used to indicate statistical significance.


RESULTS
The response was 91%. Forty percent of mothers were not giving their infants vitamin D at the time of contact. More than 40% of the mothers were not aware of, and they were not offered advice on the need to give vitamin D to their infants. Lack of physician advice (odds ratio 42), and poor maternal awareness of the necessity to give vitamin D to their infants (odds ratio - 2.676) are the most significant factors related to the absence of vitamin D supplementation in infants (p<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Vitamin D supplementation during the first year of infancy is low. This is most likely due to the lack of maternal awareness and physician neglect in providing advice to mothers regarding vitamin D supplementation in infants.
Post-Graduate Center of Family and Community Medicine, Public Health Department, Ministry of Health, Al-Ahsa, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Tel. +966 (13) 5886468. E-mail: Ramam791@gmail.com.
Abdullah M
AM
Alramdhan
Ahmed G
AG
El-Zubair
D000328:Adult; D001364:Awareness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D014807:Vitamin D