Vitamin D in the Healthy European Paediatric Population.

J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2013 Jun;56(6):692-701

Braegger C, Campoy C, Colomb V, Decsi T, Domellof M, Fewtrell M, Hojsak I, Mihatsch W, Molgaard C, Shamir R, Turck D, van Goudoever J; on Behalf of the ESPGHAN Committee on Nutrition.

Source

*Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland †Department of Paediatrics, University of Granada, Granada, Spain ‡Hospital Necker, Paris, France §Department of Paediatrics, University of Pecs, Hungary ||Department of Clinical Sciences, Paediatrics, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden ¶MRC Childhood Nutrition Research Centre, UCL Institute of Child Health, London, UK #Children's Hospital Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia **Department of Paediatrics, Deaconry Hospital, Schwaebisch Hall, Germany ††Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark ‡‡Schneider Children's Medical Centre of Israel, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel §§Jeanne de Flandre Children's Hospital, Lille University Faculty of Medicine, Lille, France ||||Paediatrics, VU University Medical Center Amsterdam Netherlands and Paediatrics, Emma Children's Hospital-AMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. 1Dr Walter Mihatsch is the Secretary of the Committee. 2Dr Johannes van Goudoever is the Chairperson of the Committee.

ABSTRACT: In recent years, reports suggesting a resurgence of vitamin D deficiency in the Western world, combined with various proposed health benefits for vitamin D supplementation, have resulted in increased interest from health care professionals, the media, and the public. The aim of this position paper is to summarise the published data on vitamin D intake and prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in the healthy European paediatric population, to discuss the health benefits of vitamin D and to provide recommendations for the prevention of vitamin D deficiency in this population. Vitamin D plays a key role in calcium and phosphate metabolism and is essential for bone health. There is insufficient evidence from interventional studies to support vitamin D supplementation for other health benefits in infants, children, and adolescents. The pragmatic use of a serum concentration >50 nmol/L to indicate sufficiency and a serum concentration <25 sigue="">