Vitamin D Deficiency Prevalence in Late Neonatal Hypocalcemia: A Multicenter Study.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Multicenter cross-sectional study/case series of affected neonates and mothers without a control group
PubMed 34013710 · doi:10.4274/jcrpe.galenos.2020.2021.0169
What was done
This multicenter cross-sectional study across 61 neonatal centers in Turkey (December 2015 to December 2016) enrolled 96 term neonates with late neonatal hypocalcemia and 93 of their mothers. Data were collected through the FAVOR Web Registry System. Serum samples from neonates and mothers were evaluated for calcium, phosphate, magnesium, albumin, alkaline phosphatase, intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH), and 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D].
What was found
The median onset of hypocalcemia was 5.0 days of age (range 4.0-8.0), with 60.4% male neonates. Median serum 25(OH)D was 6.3 ng/mL (range 4.1-9.05) in neonates and 5.2 ng/mL (range 4.7-8.8) in mothers. Vitamin D deficiency (<12 ng/mL) was detected in 86.5% of neonates and 93% of mothers, showing a strong maternal-infant 25(OH)D correlation (p<0.001). Normal or high phosphorus was found in 93.7% of neonates, and 54.2% had low or inappropriately normal iPTH.
Why it matters
The study shows a high prevalence of concurrent maternal and neonatal vitamin D deficiency in late neonatal hypocalcemia, highlighting the need to check vitamin D in affected infants and promote antenatal supplementation.
Limits
The study lacked a healthy control group of normocalcemic neonates and mothers for comparison. Maternal dietary intake, antenatal supplementation history, and sun exposure were not reported in the abstract, and the observational design cannot confirm causality.
Cited by
- supports Severe vitamin D deficiency in infants can cause profound hypocalcemia resulting in afebrile convulsions.