November 2, 2009
Chicago- At least 1 in 5 U.S. children ages 1 to 11 don't get enough vitamin D and could be at risk for a variety of health problems including weak bones, the most recent national analysis suggests.

Almost 90 percent of black children and 80 percent of Hispanic children that age could be vitamin D deficient-"astounding numbers" that should serve as a call to action, said Dr. Jonathan Mansbach, lead author of the new analysis and a researcher at Harvard Medical School and Children's Hospital in Boston.

The findings add to mounting evidence about vitamin D deficiency in children, teens and adults, a concern because of recent studies suggesting that the vitamin might help prevent infections, diabetes and even some cancers.

While hard evidence showing that low levels of vitamin D lead to disease or that high levels prevent it is lacking, it's a burgeoning area of research.

Exactly how much vitamin D children and adults should get is under debate. Doctors use different definitions, and many are waiting for guidance expected in an Institute of Medicine report on vitamin D due next year.

The new analysis, released online today by the medical journal Pediatrics, is the first assessment of vitamin D levels in children 1 through 11.

The new analysis uses data from a 2001-06 government health survey of nearly 3,000 children. They had blood tests measuring vitamin D levels.

Using the American Academy of Pediatrics' cutoff for healthy vitamin D levels, 6.4 million children- about 20 percent of kids that age- have blood levels that are too low

Applying a higher cutoff, two-thirds of children that age, including 90 percent of black kids and 80 percent of Hispanics, are deficient in vitamin D.

A Pediatrics editorial says the strongest evidence of effects of vitamin D deficiency in kids involves rickets, a bone disease that was common a century ago but that continues to occur.

Rickets can be treated and prevented with 400 units daily of vitamin D. The pediatricians' group recently recommended that amount for all children, saying most need vitamin supplements.

Children can get 400 units daily by drinking four cups of fortified milk or eating lots of fish, but many don't.

The body also makes vitamin D when sunlight hits the skin, but many children don't spend enough time outdoors. That's one reason that lower vitamin D levels are found in children living in colder climates and those with darker skin, which absorbs less sunlight.

Star Telegram- October 26, 2009
By Lindsey Tanner
The Associated Press