scholarly journals COVID-19 pandemic leading to unidentified, silent-pandemic of vitamin D deficiency in young children: a case report

Author(s):  
Manasvee Dewan ◽  
Neha Sharma ◽  
Pragyan Swagatika Panda ◽  
Priyanka Banerjee

Vitamin D is a pro hormone needed for the homeostasis of calcium and phosphorus in the body. This state is crucial for maintaining metabolism, nerve conduction and general cellular functions in the body. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to long-term lockdowns. Schools are closed, people are confined to their homes and outdoor activities are at a halt. This has led to rise in cases of vitamin D deficiency (particularly in infants and toddlers) which is going un-noticed and can further lead us to another pandemic of non-communicable disease - vitamin D deficiency. We have presented a case report of healing rickets in a 19-month-old toddler. We aim to highlight this under-diagnosed and ignored vitamin deficiency that can affect the overall health of our younger generation in this COVID-19 era.

2019 ◽  
Vol 241 (2) ◽  
pp. R65-R80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Folami Y Ideraabdullah ◽  
Anthony M Belenchia ◽  
Cheryl S Rosenfeld ◽  
Seth W Kullman ◽  
Megan Knuth ◽  
...  

Vitamin D is an essential nutrient that is metabolized in the body to generate an active metabolite (1,25(OH)2D) with hormone-like activity and highly diverse roles in cellular function. Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is a prevalent but easily preventable nutritional disturbance. Emerging evidence demonstrates the importance of sufficient vitamin D concentrations during fetal life with deficiencies leading to long-term effects into adulthood. Here, we provide a detailed review and perspective of evidence for the role of maternal VDD in offspring long-term health, particularly as it relates to developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD). We focus on the roles in neurobehavioral and cardiometabolic disorders in humans and highlight recent findings from zebrafish and rodent models that probe potential mechanisms linking early life VDD to later life health outcomes. Moreover, we explore evidence implicating epigenetic mechanisms as a mediator of this link. Gaps in our current understanding of how maternal VDD might result in deleterious offspring outcomes later in life are also addressed.


2014 ◽  
Vol 100 (3) ◽  
pp. 328-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Bryce ◽  
N MacBeth

AbstractAimTo discuss the influence of Vitamin D defi ciency in the osseointegration process of a dental implant by way of a case report.SummaryA 29-year-old soldier attended clinic with a fractured mandibular premolar (tooth 44) that was traumatised following head trauma related to the detonation of an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) whilst serving on operational duty. The tooth was deemed unsalvageable and was extracted with immediate placement of a dental implant. The patient experienced no problems but at assessment, five months post-operatively, no osseo-integration of the implant was found. Concurrent medical investigations revealed that he was severely Vitamin D deficient and that this may have contributed to the implant failure.ConclusionVitamin D deficiency may play a role in the failure of osseointegration in dental implants. The assessment of vitamin D status in patients who have been in long-term hospital care or rehabilitation should be considered, prior to the placement of dental implants.


GYNECOLOGY ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-51
Author(s):  
Iuliia E Dobrokhotova ◽  
Ekaterina I Borovkova ◽  
Sofya A Zalesskaya ◽  
Victoria S Skalnaya ◽  
Ivan M Borovkov ◽  
...  

Background. Vitamin D is an essential component that regulates calcium homeostasis and many other cellular functions. Hypovitaminosis D is associated with a risk of osteopenia, obesity, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, malignant neoplasms and immune disorders. Inadequate vitamin D intake during pregnancy increases a risk of pre-eclampsia, preterm birth, low birth weight as well as it has a negative impact on both children’s and adolescents’ health. It is important for the clinician to be known administrating of vitamin D prophylactic and therapeutic regimens according to serum 25(OH)D levels. Aim. To determine causes and effects of vitamin D deficiency and to elaborate ways of their correction. Materials and methods. To write this review a search for domestic and foreign publications in Russian and international search systems (PubMed, eLibrary, etc.) for the last 2-15 years was conducted. The review includes articles from peer-reviewed literature. Results. The article shows that vitamin D has a significant impact on both the cardiovascular, endocrine, digestive, respiratory and other systems functioning and perinatal outcomes that necessitates vitamin D deficiency correction. It provides schemes for effective therapeutic and prophylactic drug doses calculating depending on vitamin D3 blood serum concentration. Conclusion. Preference should be given to cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) due to its better absorption properties and more efficient conversion to active vitamin metabolites (class IIC).


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (10) ◽  
pp. 5145
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Schepisi ◽  
Caterina Gianni ◽  
Sara Bleve ◽  
Silvia De Padova ◽  
Cecilia Menna ◽  
...  

Testicular cancer (TC) is the most frequent tumor in young males. In the vast majority of cases, it is a curable disease; therefore, very often patients experience a long survival, also due to their young age at diagnosis. In the last decades, the role of the vitamin D deficiency related to orchiectomy has become an increasingly debated topic. Indeed, vitamin D is essential in bone metabolism and many other metabolic pathways, so its deficiency could lead to various metabolic disorders especially in long-term TC survivors. In our article, we report data from studies that evaluated the incidence of hypovitaminosis D in TC survivors compared with cohorts of healthy peers and we discuss molecular mechanisms and clinical implications.


Author(s):  
Matthew F Warren ◽  
Kimberly A Livingston

Abstract The risk of vitamin D insufficiency in humans is a global problem that requires improving ways to increase vitamin D intake. Supplements are a primary means for increasing vitamin D intake, but without a clear consensus on what constitutes vitamin D sufficiency, there is toxicity risk with taking supplements. Chickens have been used in many vitamin D-related research studies, especially studies involving vitamin D supplementation. Our state-of-the-art review evaluates vitamin D metabolism and how the different hydroxylated forms are synthesized. We provide an overview with how vitamin D is absorbed, transported, excreted, and what tissues in the body store vitamin D metabolites. We also discuss a number of studies involving vitamin D supplementation with broilers and laying hens. Vitamin D deficiency and toxicity are also described and how they can be caused. The vitamin D receptor (VDR) is important for vitamin D metabolism. However, there is much more that can be understood with VDR in chickens. Potential research aims involving vitamin D and chickens should explore VDR mechanisms which could lead to newer insights with VDR. Utilizing chickens in future research to help with elucidating vitamin D mechanisms has great potential to advance human nutrition. Finding ways to increase vitamin D intake will be necessary because the coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19) pandemic is leading to increased risk of vitamin D deficiency in many populations. Chickens can provide a dual purpose with addressing pandemic-caused vitamin D deficiency: 1) vitamin D supplementation gives chickens added value with possibly leading to vitamin D-enriched meat and egg products; and 2) chickens’ use in research provides data for translational research. Expanding vitamin D-related research in chickens to include more nutritional aims in vitamin D status has great implications with developing better strategies to improve human health.


Author(s):  
Katarzyna Zadka ◽  
Ewelina Pałkowska-Goździk ◽  
Danuta Rosołowska-Huszcz

The percentage of children with vitamin D deficiency in Poland is alarming. The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge about sources of food and the function of vitamin D, as well as the frequency of its supplementation. A survey was conducted among the parents of children from Central Poland attending primary schools, and a questionnaire containing mainly open-ended questions was used to collect the data. Most mothers knew at least one of the functions of vitamin D in the body but had a low level of knowledge about its dietary sources. Only a small group of respondents supplemented themselves and their children with vitamin D. Statistically significant influences on the level of knowledge about the functions and sources of vitamin D were place of residence (i.e., better knowledge in the countryside) and mothers’ level of education (i.e., the better educated, the greater knowledge). In the case of monthly income level, such impact was observed only in relation to the knowledge of vitamin D functions. Concerning the frequency of supplementation, only maternal level of education had a statistically significant effect (i.e., the higher the education level, the higher the frequency of supplementation). In addition, mothers who were aware of functions of vitamin D and nutritional sources, significantly more frequently supplemented vitamin D.


2021 ◽  
Vol 100 (3) ◽  
pp. 295-300
Author(s):  
N.B. Gomboeva ◽  
◽  
E.I. Grigoryeva ◽  

The proven relationship between the frequency of influenza and acute respiratory infections in children with vitamin D deficiency and the data on the relationship between a high mortality rate from SARS-CoV-2 in patients with low levels of vitamin D in the body under conditions of a forced sharp decrease in the level of insolation in the period from March 11, 2020 dictated the relevance assessing the vitamin D supply of children and adolescents in educational organizations of the city of Ulan-Ude. Purpose of the study: to assess the vitamin D supply of children and adolescents living in the city of Ulan-Ude. Methods: in a non-randomized, single-center, transverse (one-stage) uncontrolled comparative study, the concentration of 25(OH) vitamin D – 25(OH)D – in the blood serum of children and adolescents in Ulan-Ude was studied from May 22 to May 24, 2020. Moderate vitamin D deficiency (deficiency) was determined when the content of 25(OH)D was in the range of 20–30 ng/ml, the deficiency was within the limits, and the severe deficiency was <10 ng/ml. Results: assessment of vitamin D provision was carried out in 60 children aged 10 to 17 years (15 [11; 16] years), of which 19 boys, 41 girls. Children were divided into 2 groups depending on age: 10–11 years old (grade 5) (n=27) and 15–17 years old (grades 9–11) (n=33). Deficiency of vitamin D was found in 4 (15%), 11 (33%); deficit – in 19 (70%), 18 (55%); severe deficiency – in 2 (7%), 4 (12%), respectively. Along with low indicators of the provision of children and adolescents in the city of Ulan-Ude, an even lower provision of children and adolescents of Buryats was noted. The concentration of vitamin D in Buryat children and adolescents below normal (less than 30 ng/ml) was found in 35 (100%) children and adolescents, deficiency – in 8 (23%) children, vitamin D deficiency – in 21 (60%) children and severe deficiency – in 6 (17%). A statistically significant difference in the content of 25(OH)D between children and adolescents of Russian nationality and Buryats was revealed (p=0,0056). Evaluation of the diet showed that the frequency of consumption of fish as a source of vitamin D by children and adolescents is low. Conclusion: there is a high incidence of vitamin D deficiency and deficiency, which amounted to 97% in the examined children and adolescents living in the city of Ulan-Ude, more pronounced in Buryat children and adolescents, which requires organizational measures to replenish the vitamin D deficiency.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Samuel Asamoah Sakyi ◽  
Maxwell Hubert Antwi ◽  
Linda Ahenkorah Fondjo ◽  
Edwin Ferguson Laing ◽  
Richard K. Dadzie Ephraim ◽  
...  

Background. Vitamin D is a steroid hormone important for the normal functioning of the body. It is produced through skin exposure to sunlight and from the diet. Although Ghana is located in the tropics where sunlight is abundant, factors like culture, diet, skin pigmentation, variation in the ozone layer, and geographical area influence the optimization of vitamin D concentration. It is imperative to evaluate the interplay between sunshine exposure, proinflammatory cytokines, and mediators of vitamin D metabolism and their relationship to vitamin D status in three geographical sections among apparent healthy Ghanaians. Methods and Results. In a cross-sectional study, a total of five hundred (500) healthy blood donors from three geographical areas in Ghana were enrolled. Their age ranged from 17 to 55 years with a mean age of 27.97 ± 8.87 years. The overall prevalence rate of vitamin D deficiency was 43.6% (218/500), with 41.2% (91/221), 45.3% (63/139), and 45.7% (64/140) of vitamin D deficiency being recorded in participants from the Northern Sector (NS), Middle Belt (MB), and Southern Sector (SS), respectively. However, there were no significant differences in the proportions of vitamin D deficiency across various geographical sectors. The median 25-hydroxyvitamin D serum levels were compared among geographical areas (NS, MB, and SS) and there were no significant differences ( P = 0.275 ) after adjusting for confounding factors. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D correlated positively with corrected ionized calcium (rs = 0.622, P ≤ 0.001 ) and phosphorus (rs = 0.299, P ≤ 0.001 ) and negatively correlated with SBP (rs = −0.092, P = 0.039 ), vitamin D binding protein (VDBP) (rs = −0.421, P ≤ 0.001 ), intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) (rs = −0.0568, rs ≤ 0.001), IFN-gamma (rs = −0.684, P ≤ 0.001 ), and TNF-alpha (rs = −0.600, P ≤ 0.001 ). After adjusting for possible confounders, not having knowledge about vitamin D foods, taking fewer vitamin D foods, and higher levels of IF-γ and IL-10 were associated with a higher risk of having vitamin D deficiency. Conclusion. The prevalence of 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency is high among the general adult population in Ghana despite the abundance of sunlight. Increasing knowledge on vitamin D diet coupled with a daily intake of vitamin D dietary supplements is likely to reduce the risk of developing 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 142-147
Author(s):  
G. Ngoga ◽  
P. H. Park ◽  
R. Borg ◽  
G. Bukhman ◽  
E. Ali ◽  
...  

Setting: Three district hospitals (DHs) and seven health centers (HCs) in rural Rwanda.Objective: To describe follow-up and treatment outcomes in stage 1 and 2 hypertension patients receiving care at HCs closer to home in comparison to patients receiving care at DHs further from home.Design: A retrospective descriptive cohort study using routinely collected data involving adult patients aged 18 years in care at chronic non-communicable disease clinics and receiving treatment for hypertension at DH and HC between 1 January 2013 and 30 June 2014.Results: Of 162 patients included in the analysis, 36.4% were from HCs. Patients at DHs travelled significantly further to receive care (10.4 km vs. 2.9 km for HCs, P < 0.01). Odds of being retained were significantly lower among DH patients when not adjusting for distance (OR 0.11, P = 0.01). The retention effect was consistent but no longer significant when adjusting for distance (OR 0.18, P = 0.10). For those retained, there was no significant difference in achieving blood pressure targets between the DHs and HCs.Conclusion: By removing the distance barrier, decentralizing hypertension management to HCs may improve long-term patient retention and could provide similar hypertension outcomes as DHs.


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