Research paper
Vitamin D supplementation for preventing infections in children under five years of age
Study answer
What this study found
Vitamin D supplementation did not show a clear benefit for preventing infections in young children. The largest trial found no reduction in the first or only episode of radiologically confirmed pneumonia (RR 1.06, 95% CI 0.89 to 1.26) or all-cause mortality (RR 1.43, 95% CI 0.54 to 3.74), but repeat episodes of radiologically confirmed pneumonia were higher (RR 1.69, 95% CI 1.28 to 2.21). Mean serum vitamin D concentrations increased by 7.72 ng/mL (0.50 higher to 14.93 higher) across four trials (266 participants). Trials evaluating vitamin D for prevention of TB or malaria were not…
- Study & population
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials in children under five years of age in hospital, clinic, and community settings.
- Intervention
- Included vitamin D supplementation regimens were heterogeneous across trials.
- Key limitation
- The evidence base was sparse and heterogeneous, with only one large trial providing infection outcomes and several smaller trials mainly reporting serum vitamin D levels rather than clinical infections.
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Open PDFOriginal abstract
Abstract Background Vitamin D is a micronutrient important for bone growth and immune function. Deficiency can lead to rickets and has been linked to various infections, including respiratory infections. The evidence on the effects of supplementation…