Vitamin D Deficiency and Its Association with Recurrent Respiratory Infections in Children Under Five – A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Abstract

Background: Respiratory infections are the major source of morbidity and mortality in children, especially in developing nations. Vitamin D has been proven to be a vital component in the functionality of the immune system and its deficiency has been associated with greater vulnerability to respiratory infections.

Objectives: to investigate the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and the recurrent respiratory infections in children who are below the age of five.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study Conducted at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar,jan to june-2023. Two hundred children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years old who had a history of recurrent respiratory infections were recruited. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were to be determined by blood samples. Information on the number of respiratory infections, medical history, and demographic was also collected.

Results: The Study discovered that in the case of 60% of children, there was vitamin D deficiency (serum level less than 20 ng/mL). There was a higher prevalence of recurrent respiratory infections in children who had a vitamin D deficiency and 75% had more than three respiratory infections per year as compared to 45% of vitamin D adequate children. The correlation between the lack of vitamin D and frequent respiratory infections was statistically significant (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency is very common in children below the age of five and is linked to high incidence of recurrent respiratory infections. These results indicate that early diagnosis of vitamin D deficiency may be critical and supplementation may prove effective in alleviating the cost of respiratory diseases among this group of vulnerable populations.