Thesis (Ph.D.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Medicine - Department of Pediatrics

Vitamin D deficiency is now being recognized as an epidemic and a common health problem worldwide. Accumulating data on the vitamin D status of Egyptians over the last two decades indicate a resurgence of vitamin D deficiency among otherwise healthy members of the population. It is a cross section study including 300 of apparently healthy children of preschool age (2 to 6) years old, with no rachitic manifestations. They are recruited from general outpatient clinics at Aboulrich Children Hospital, Cairo University. 25 (OH) vitamin D was measured by ELISA based technique, level < 10ng/ml was considered deficient, (10- 19.9) ng/ml insufficient and levels {u2265} 20 ng/ml sufficient. 15% of children have sufficient level of vitamin D, 27.3% have insufficient level and that 57.7% have deficient level. The mean level of 25 (OH) Vitamin D is 11.9 ng/ml ± 10.19 SD, ranging from 4.6 to 75.5 ng/ml. Vitamin D level was significantly higher in children coming from rural than from suburban and urban areas with P value < 0.001 and in children living in sunny than those living in non sunny places with P value = 0.026. A positive correlation between vitamin D level and both duration of daily sunexposure with r = 0.156 and P = 0.009 and the body surface area exposed to sunlight with r = 0.746 and P < 0.001. Vitamin D deficiency was more in the children who didn{u2019}t receive vitamin D supplementation with P < 0.001 and in children whose mothers didn{u2019}t know importance of giving vitamin D supplementation with P < 0.001. Vitamin D deficiency is a common problem in preschool children. Adequate sunexposure, giving vitamin D supplement and increasing awareness of parents about its importance is necessary to have adequate vitamin D level

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