Vitamin D Defciency in Mongolian Children / Эрүүл мэндийн лаборатори

ABSTRACT

Background: The prevalence of rickets is high among Mongolian children. The disease can be prevented by sufficient intake of vitamin D. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in very few foods, and is also produced endogenously when ultraviolet rays from sunlight strike the skin and trigger vitamin D synthesis. Serum concentration of 25(OH)D is the best indicator of vitamin D status. The aim of this study was to determine the concentrations of 25(OH)D in serum samples of small children and evaluate their vitamin D status. Materials and Methods: The concentrations of 25(OH)D were determined in serum samples of 98 children (54 male and 44 female) 6-36 months of age using a 2-step radioimmuno assay procedure. Vitamin D defciency was defned as 25(OH)D < 25nmol/L. Results: The mean serum 25(OH)D concentration was 29.00 nmol/L with no statistically signifcant differences between boys and girls, age groups and children from rural and urban areas. The vitamin D defciency among the surveyed children was 61.2%. The defciency was higher among children from Ulaanbaatar city (65.7% vs 51.9% in rural areas) and in boys (66.7% vs 55.8% in girls). Conclusion: The high level of vitamin D deficiency indicates that there is a need to promote the expansion of the coverage of vitamin D supplements among young children.