Many young children short on vitamin D

A new study by researchers in the United States has found that many young children are lacking in vitamin D.

The study by doctors at Boston's Children's Hospital found that in a group of 380 healthy infants and toddlers aged 8 months to 2 years, 40% had low blood levels of vitamin D and 12% of those had a vitamin D deficiency.

When X-rays were taken it was found that a third of the children with vitamin D deficiency had bone demineralization, an indication of thinner bones.

The study by Dr. Catherine M. Gordon and her colleagues found that breastfed babies were more prone to be low in vitamin D.

Twenty babies in the study were exclusively breastfed but only six of those infants had received vitamin D supplements.

The researchers say their findings support recommendations advocating vitamin D supplementation for all young children.

Vitamin D deficiency sometimes causes children to have bowed legs or easily fractured bones and they can also appear tired, or shaky, or in severe cases suffer from seizures.

Dr. Gordon says overweight children were found to be prone to vitamin D deficiency and diabetes is also linked to the deficiency.

They say the study adds to a growing body of evidence that vitamin D, which occurs naturally through exposure to sunlight, is important for preventing chronic diseases.. and is a key to maintaining strong bones - it has also been linked with a lower risk of cancer, artery disease and kidney disease.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends vitamin D supplementation of 200 international units (IU) per day for all infants who do not get at least 500 milliliters of vitamin D-fortified formula or milk and that includes breastfed babies, as breast milk is low in vitamin D.

The report is published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine.