title: Reduced primary care respiratory infection visits following pregnancy and infancy vitamin D supplementation: a randomised controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether vitamin D supplementation reduces primary care visits for acute respiratory infection (ARI).
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in New Zealand and powered to determine the vitamin D dose needed to achieve normal vitamin D status during infancy. Healthy pregnant women, from 27 weeks' gestation to birth, and their infants, from birth to age 6 months, were assigned to placebo or one of the two dosages of daily oral vitamin D3 . Woman/infant pairs were randomised to placebo/placebo, 1000 IU/400 IU or 2000 IU/800 IU. For this ad hoc analysis, the primary care records of enrolled children were audited to age 18 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two hundred and sixty pregnant women were randomised to placebo (n = 87), lower-dose (n = 87) or higher-dose (n = 86) vitamin D3 . In comparison with the placebo group (99%), the proportion of children making any ARI visits was smaller in the higher-dose (87%, p = 0.004), but not the lower-dose vitamin D3 group (95%, p = 0.17). The median number of ARI visits/child was less in the higher-dose vitamin D3 group from age 6-18 months (placebo 4, lower dose 3, higher dose 2.5; p = 0.048 for higher-dose vitamin D3 vs. placebo).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vitamin D3 supplementation during pregnancy and infancy reduces primary care visits for ARI during early childhood.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics: Child and Youth Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Cameron C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Grant
authors.forename: Suhina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Waymouth
authors.forename: Edwin A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Scragg
authors.forename: Alec
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ekeroma
authors.forename: Alistair
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: Julian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Crane
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trenholme
authors.forename: Carlos A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Camargo
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014815:Vitamins / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D014815:Vitamins; D014807:Vitamin D
keywords: Child; Clinical trial; Pregnancy; Respiratory tract infections; Vitamin D