title: Prevalence of Hypovitaminosis D Among Jordanian Healthy Infants: A Descriptive Cross Sectional Study.
abstract: To determine vitamin D deficiency and associated risk factors of hypovitaminosis D among Jordanian healthy infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 171 infants receiving a routine health check at a Maternal and Child Health Care Center were recruited. Plasma vitamin D 25-OHD level was assessed using a standard analysis of a blood sample. Other data collected included age, gender, birth order, season of birth, and mode of feeding.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (≤15 ng/mL) was 77% (132 out of 171 infants). Infants at risk of vitamin D deficiency were those between 1 to 6 months of age, male, third born or later, born in winter, and exclusively breastfed. The multivariate model showed birth order to be the largest contributor of vitamin D deficiency (R(2)=0.196), followed by breastfed infants (R(2)=0.071), infants born in winter (R(2)=0.037), male gender (R(2)=0.028), and infants aged between 1 and 6 months (R(2)=0.027).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hypovitaminosis D appears to be more common among healthy infants in Jordan. Hypovitaminosis D was found to be common among third or later exclusively breastfeed male infants aged 1 to 6 months who were born during winter.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maternal and child health nurses have a critical role to play in educating mothers about the importance of preventing hypovitaminosis D through adequate sun exposure and ensuring adequate supplementation. A higher dose of vitamin D supplementation for high-risk infants beyond the age of 1 year from developing countries should be administered.
authors.affiliation: Maternal and Child Health and Midwifery Department, Jordan University of Science & Technology, Irbid, Jordan; University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), Australia; School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Western Sydney (UWS), Australia. Electronic address: manal_kassab@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Manal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kassab
authors.affiliation: Al Al-Bayt University, Mafraq, Jordan.
authors.forename: Insaf
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Shaban
authors.affiliation: Maternal and Child Health and Midwifery Department, Jordan University of Science & Technology, Irbid, Jordan.
authors.forename: Khitam
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mohammad
authors.affiliation: Perinatal Mental Health, Centre for Health Practice Innovation, Griffith Health Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Debra K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Creedy
mesh_terms: D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003906:Developing Countries; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007597:Jordan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015995:Prevalence; D012044:Regression Analysis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D
keywords: Birth order; Breastfeeding; Gender; Hypovitaminosis D; Infants