title: Vitamin-D deficiency predicts infections in young north Indian children: A secondary data analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent studies have demonstrated a relationship between poor vitamin D status and respiratory infections and diarrhea among young children. Acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI) and diarrhea are among the two most important causes of death in under-5 children. In this paper, we examined the extent to which vitamin-D deficiency (<10 ng/ml) predicts ALRI, clinical pneumonia and diarrhea among 6 to 30 months old children.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used data from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of daily folic acid and/or vitamin B12 supplementation for six months in 6 to 30 months old children conducted in Delhi, India. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to examine the associations between vitamin-D deficiency and episodes of ALRI, clinical pneumonia and diarrhea.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 960 subjects who had vitamin-D concentrations measured, 331(34.5%) were vitamin-D deficient. We found, after controlling for relevant potential confounders (age, sex, breastfeeding status, wasting, stunting, underweight, anemia status and season), that the risk of ALRI was significantly higher among vitamin-D deficient (OR 1.26; 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.55) compared to vitamin-D-replete children in the six months follow-up period. Vitamin-D status was not associated with episodes of diarrhea or clinical pneumonia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vitamin-D deficiency is common in young children in New Delhi and is associated with a higher risk of ALRI. The role of vitamin D in Indian children needs to be elucidated in further studies.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health Research and Development, Society for Applied Studies, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Ranadip
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chowdhury
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health Research and Development, Society for Applied Studies, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Sunita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taneja
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health Research and Development, Society for Applied Studies, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Nita
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bhandari
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health Research and Development, Society for Applied Studies, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Bireshwar
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sinha
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health Research and Development, Society for Applied Studies, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Ravi Prakash
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Upadhyay
authors.affiliation: Indian Institute of Technology - Delhi, New Delhi, India.|Knowledge Integration and Translational Platform (KnIT), Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Maharaj Kishan
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Bhan
authors.affiliation: Centre for Intervention Science in Maternal and Child Health, Centre for International Health, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.|Department of Research, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Brumunddal, Norway.
authors.forename: Tor A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Strand
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012621:Seasons; D012923:Social Class; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D; D005492:Folic Acid; D014805:Vitamin B 12