Infants Fall Short of Meeting Vitamin D Intake Guidelines: Study

The American Academy of Pediatrics in 2008 recommended increasing vitamin D intake for infants under age 1 to 400 IU daily, twice what had been recommended previously, with the goal of preventing rickets. A study, “Adherence to Vitamin D Intake Guidelines in the United States,” published in the June 2020 Pediatrics, found that despite the recommendation, only 27.1% of infants overall met the intake guidelines.  The study, published online May 18, examined data from the 2009-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and found that non-breastfeeding infants were more likely to meet guidelines than breastfeeding infants. Although less than 40% of infants met guidelines in nearly all demographic subgroups, among breastfeeding infants, lower socioeconomic status was associated with increased risk of failing to meet the vitamin D intake guidelines. Nutritional rickets causes softening and weakening of the bones and is associated with impaired growth, developmental delays, and hypocalcemic seizures. It is a largely preventable condition, and can result in limb deformity, scoliosis, dental abnormalities, and fractures. The authors suggest renewed consideration of how to best meet vitamin D intake guidelines.

Editor’s Note: A solicited study, “Vitamin D in Children: Can We Do Better?” will be published in the same issue.

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.