Vitamin D in pediatric age: consensus of the Italian Pediatric Society and the Italian Society of Preventive and Social Pediatrics, jointly with the Italian Federation of Pediatricians.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to review literature on vitamin D supplementation's role in calcium-phosphorus metabolism and its extraskeletal effects in pediatric populations.
Results Summary
The study highlights vitamin D's regulatory role in calcium-phosphorus metabolism and its potential extraskeletal benefits, but notes high deficiency prevalence in Italian children and lack of national supplementation guidelines.
Population
Italian infants, children, and adolescents
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
vitamin D | neutral | calcium-phosphorus metabolism | pediatric age | - | plays a pivotal role in the regulation | #1 |
vitamin D | increase | up to 1250 genes | - | up to 1250 | directly or indirectly regulates | #2 |
vitamin D | neutral | extraskeletal actions | - | - | plays so-called extraskeletal actions | #3 |
vitamin D | neutral | infectious, allergic and autoimmune diseases | - | - | a possible role in the pathogenesis | #4 |
vitamin D deficiency | decrease | musculoskeletal health | - | - | may affect | #5 |
vitamin D deficiency | increase | a potentially wide range of acute and chronic conditions | - | - | may affect | #6 |
- | increase | prevalence of vitamin D deficiency | Italian children and adolescents | - | is high | #7 |
- | neutral | national recommendations on vitamin D supplementation | pediatric age | - | are lacking | #8 |
Vitamin D plays a pivotal role in the regulation of calcium-phosphorus metabolism, particularly during pediatric age when nutritional rickets and impaired bone mass acquisition may occur.Besides its historical skeletal functions, in the last years it has been demonstrated that vitamin D directly or indirectly regulates up to 1250 genes, playing so-called extraskeletal actions. Indeed, recent data suggest a possible role of vitamin D in the pathogenesis of several pathological conditions, including infectious, allergic and autoimmune diseases. Thus, vitamin D deficiency may affect not only musculoskeletal health but also a potentially wide range of acute and chronic conditions. At present, the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency is high in Italian children and adolescents, and national recommendations on vitamin D supplementation during pediatric age are lacking. An expert panel of the Italian Society of Preventive and Social Pediatrics reviewed available literature focusing on randomized controlled trials of vitamin D supplementation to provide a practical approach to vitamin D supplementation for infants, children and adolescents.