Vitamin D and Health

large loss to follow-up 45 and, since it was conducted in undernourished low birth weight infants, the
findings may not be applicable to normal weight infants in the UK.
6.67 Abrams (2012) evaluated the effects of daily vitamin D 3 supplementation (10 µg/400 IU for 3 months)
on BMC/BMD in Hispanic and non-Hispanic white infants (n=49; age, 1 week) in Texas, USA. Serum
25(OH)D concentration was significantly lower in Hispanic compared to non-Hispanic infants at birth
(p=0.013) and after 3 months supplementation (p=0.014). There were no significant relationships
between cord serum 25(OH)D concentration and BMC or BMD in the first week of life or after 3
months supplementation. Key uncertainties in this study were the small sample size (and likely lack of
statistical power) and the short time span for observing a difference in bone health indices.
6.68 Holmlund-Suila et al. (2012) evaluated the effects of different daily supplemental doses of vitamin D 3
(10 µg/400 IU; 30 µg/1200 IU; or 40 µg/1600 IU) on bone strength (evaluated by pQCT) in infants from
age 2 weeks to 3 months (n=113). There were no significant correlations between serum 25(OH)D
concentration and pQCT parameters.
Bone health indices
Summary - Infants (up to 12 months)
6.69 Evidence for an effect of vitamin D supplementation on indices of bone health in infants is inconsistent. Out of 4
RCTs, 3 reported no significant effect of vitamin D supplementation on BMC, BMD or pQCT. One RCT reported
positive effects of vitamin D supplementation on growth in under-nourished low birth weight infants in India;
however, findings from this study may not be applicable to the UK population.
Children (1-3y)
Bone health indices
6.70 IOM report: The IOM did not consider this age group separately.
Evidence considered
6.71 No intervention or cohort studies examining the relationship between serum 25(OH)D concentration
and BMD/BMC in this age group could be identified.
6.72 A cross-sectional analysis of children in Canada (n=488; age, 1.8-6y) reported that a plasma 25(OH)D
concentration > 75 nmol/L was significantly related to higher BMC and areal BMD at the forearm and
whole body but not at the lumbar spine (Hazell et al., 2015).
Bone health indices
Summary - Children (1-3y)
6.73 One cross-sectional study reported an association between serum 25(OH)D concentration > 75 nmol/L and
higher BMC/BMD at the forearm and whole body but not at the lumbar spine.
45 Anthropometric data were available for only 62% of original sample.
52