title: [Plasma vitamin D levels in native and immigrant children under the age of 6 years of different ethnic origins].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nutritional rickets is an emergent disease in Spain, and occurs particularly in black and dark-skinned infants and children from immigrant populations. The aim of this work was to ascertain the vitamin D reserve in a population of native and immigrant children under the age of 6 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study was conducted at a Primary Healthcare Centre in Salt (Girona).
  
  
  METHODS
  307 children with the following origin and race distribution: Caucasian (n=85; 28%), Sub-Saharan (n=101; 32.5%); Maghrebí (n=87, 28.0%); Central-American (n=20; 6.4%) and Indo-Pakistani (n=14; 4.5%). The biochemistry blood parameters studied were: calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase, 25-hydroxivitamin D, and parathormone. A nutritional survey was used to estimate calcium and vitamin D intake and degree of sun exposure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/ml) was detected in Caucasians (8%), Sub-Saharans (18%), Central-Americans (20%), Maghrebís (34.5%), and Indo-Pakistanis (64%). Of the children studied (n=9), 2.9% had serious vitamin D deficiency (< 10 ng/ml); only one child of Sub-Saharan origin met the biochemical criteria for classical rickets. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was significantly higher in children not receiving vitamin D supplements in the first year of life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plasma vitamin D concentrations were deficient in 22.5% of children under the age of six, being more prevalent in children of Indo-Pakistani and Maghrebí origin.
authors: Area Bàsica de Salut, Pediatría, Salt, Girona, España.
authors: J M
authors: JM
authors: Sánchez Muro
authors: Servicio de Endocrinología Pediátrica, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, España. Electronic address: dyeste@vhebron.net.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Yeste Fernández
authors: Area Bàsica de Salut, Pediatría, Salt, Girona, España.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Marín Muñoz
authors: Servicio de Endocrinología Pediátrica, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, España.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Fernández Cancio
authors: Servicio de Endocrinología Pediátrica, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, España.
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Audí Parera
authors: Servicio de Endocrinología Pediátrica, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, España.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Carrascosa Lezcano
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D
keywords: Child population; Déficit de vitamina D; Immigration; Infancia; Inmigración; Raquitismo carencial; Rickets; Vitamin D; Vitamin D deficiency; Vitamina D