Effects of vitamin D supplementation on bone density in healthy children: systematic review and meta-analysis

Study answer

What this study found

Vitamin D supplementation did not meaningfully improve bone density overall in healthy children and adolescents, especially when baseline vitamin D levels were normal. Pooled effects were small and not statistically significant for hip bone mineral density (SMD 0.06, 95% CI -0.18 to 0.29), lumbar spine bone mineral density (SMD 0.15, 95% CI -0.01 to 0.31; P=0.07), total body bone mineral content (SMD 0.10, 95% CI -0.06 to 0.26), and forearm bone mineral density (SMD 0.04, 95% CI -0.36 to 0.45). In children with low baseline vitamin D, subgroup analyses suggested possible clinically useful…

Study & population

Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials in healthy children and adolescents from infancy to late adolescence.

Intervention

Oral cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) supplementation was tested across 6 randomized placebo-controlled trials, with doses ranging from 132 IU/day to 400 IU/day, 1400 IU/week, or 14,000 IU/week, for 1 to 2 years.

Key limitation

Only 6 trials were available, and they differed in age, pubertal status, baseline vitamin D level, dose, duration, and skeletal sites measured, limiting comparability.

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Original abstract