Private MD News

Link between vitamin D and calcium in children unclear

Category: Vitamin D Deficiency-Diagnosis and Treatment

While vitamin D deficiency was thought not to be problem in the U.S., recent studies have shown dangerously low levels of the nutrient in adults. New studies show that children are also suffering from a lack of vitamin D.

A lack of vitamin D has been linked to a number of serious chronic illnesses, including cardiovascular disease, stroke and dementia. It has also been shown in adults that higher levels of the nutrient increase calcium absorption, which can help with osteoporosis in the elderly.

The link between calcium absorption and vitamin D levels in children is unclear, however, according to new research from Texas.

"Our data demonstrate that in children, there is a complex relationship between the level of vitamin D in the blood and how much calcium is absorbed," said lead investigator Dr Steven A. Abrams to Reuters Health.

Details of all the systemic effects of the nutrient on the body are still being discovered, but many experts recommend that pediatricians routinely perform vitamin D tests on children at high risk of being deficient due to lack of sunlight or dietary sources.