Emphasizing the health benefits of vitamin D for those with neurodevelopmental disorders and intellectual disabilities.
People with neurodevelopmental disorders and intellectual disabilities have much greater health care needs. Mainly staying indoors, such people generally have low 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations. The Vitamin D Task Force of the American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry (AADMD) reviewed the evidence of 25(OH)D concentrations that benefit the health of persons with developmental disabilities. Maintaining recommended optimal serum 25(OH)D concentrations year long will benefit skeletal development in infants, children, and adolescents, and benefit musculoskeletal health and neuromuscular coordination in adult patients, and decrease risk of falls. Maintaining optimal concentrations decreases risks and severities of autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular disease, many types of cancer, dementia, types 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus, and respiratory tract infections. Other benefits include improved dental and oral health and improved physical performance. The Task Force recommends that 25(OH)D concentrations for optimal health to be in the range of 75 to 125 nmol/L, which can be achieved using between 800 and 4000 IU/day vitamin D3 and sensible exposure to solar UVB radiation. The paper also discusses the potential risks of higher 25(OH)D concentrations, the evidence from and limitations of randomized controlled trials, and the recommendations by various groups and agencies.
Sunlight, Nutrition, and Health Research Center, PO Box 641603, San Francisco, CA 94164-1603, USA. wbgrant@infionline.net.
William B
WB
Grant
Department of Medicine & Endocrinology, Cardio Metabolic Institute, Somerset, NJ 08873, USA. suniljw@hotmail.com.
Sunil J
SJ
Wimalawansa
Department of Medicine, Section of Endocrinology, Nutrition, and Diabetes, and the Vitamin D, Skin, and Bone Research Laboratory, Boston University Medical Center, Boston, MA 02118, USA. mfholick@bu.edu.
Michael F
MF
Holick
Vitamin D Council and San Luis Obispo Integrative Medicine, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401, USA. jjcannell@vitamindcouncil.org.
John J
JJ
Cannell
Department of Biochemistry, Radioimmunology, and Experimental Medicine, The Children's Memorial Health Institute, 04-730 Warsaw, Poland. pludowski@yahoo.com.
Pawel
P
Pludowski
Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE 68131, USA. joanlappe@creighton.edu.
Joan M
JM
Lappe
Global Clinical Advisor-Health Promotion, Special Olympics International and Affiliate Faculty, College of Education and Human Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA. mpitt59802@aol.com.
Mary
M
Pittaway
International Foundation for Chronic Disabilities, Inc., PO Box 166, Oxford, NJ 07863, USA. pmay1@mindspring.com.
Philip
P
May
D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D006262:Health; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D013472:Sunlight; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014815:Vitamins / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D014815:Vitamins; D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D