Vitamin D levels in new borns are so low that they are considering supplementing to prevent Rickets (Japan) – July 2022

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The cut-off values of vitamin D deficiency in early infancy

Pediatr Neonatol. 2022 Jul;63(4):361-367. doi: 10.1016/j.pedneo.2021.12.012
Kazushige Ikeda 1, Kaori Hara-Isono 2, Keigo Takahashi 3, Takeshi Arimitsu 2, Yasunori Sato 4

Background: Several cut-off points for 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels have been proposed to determine vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency. However, the level for 25(OH)D deficiency in early infancy remains unclear. The serum 25(OH)D value at which parathyroid hormone level plateaus, called the "inflection point," is considered the most appropriate criterion for defining an adequate vitamin D status.

Methods: This was a single-center retrospective study involving 305 1-month-old and 252 2-month-old Japanese infants. Nonlinear segmented regression analysis was performed based on the correlation between 25(OH)D and parathyroid hormone levels to determine vitamin D deficiency cut-off points.

Results: Inflection points were

• 7.90 ng/mL for 1-month-old (95% confidence interval, 6.31-9.49) and
• 6.74 ng/mL for 2-month-old (95% confidence interval, 5.80-7.68)

Japanese infants, which were lower than previously reported. Cut-off values were also lower in the high-body mass index (BMI) group than in the low-BMI group for both 1-month and 2-month-old infants.

Conclusion: These results imply the need for nutritional rickets prevention via policy recommendations in most full-term newborns in Japan. Although validation studies are required, these results can still be used to guide vitamin D insufficiency treatment options in early infancy.
 Download the PDF from Vitamin D Life

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Vitamin D Life - Overview of Rickets and vitamin D contains

Rate of rickets is usually < 0.1% of births, unless dark skin or breastfed
Rate of rickets has greatly increased with the drop in vitamin D levels during the past 40 years
400 IU can prevent/treat most rickets Turkey gave vitamin D to EVERY child and eliminated Rickets
A low serum level of vitamin D does not indicate rickets
Sometimes rickets is also associated with a poor vitamin D receptor
Giving enough Vitamin D to the mother PREVENTS Rickets
Rate of rickets in some countries varies from 10% to 70% (typically poor health overall)
Rickets has been more than doubling in many countries
Rickets is strongly associated with severe breathing problems (weak ribs)
Bowed legs is not the primary indication of rickets    (3 other indications of rickets are seen more often)
Some Rickets is due to poor genes - Vitamin D needed lifelong – June 2020
Vitamin D and Rickets consensus took 80 years

Rickets category has 127 items

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Vitamin D Life - Rickets in Japan increased 3 X recently, similar to increases in other countries – June 2017