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. 2016 Dec 21;8(12):825.
doi: 10.3390/nu8120825.

Low Prevalence of Vitamin D Insufficiency among Nepalese Infants Despite High Prevalence of Vitamin D Insufficiency among Their Mothers

Johanne Haugen  1   2 , Manjeswori Ulak  3 , Ram K Chandyo  4 , Sigrun Henjum  5 , Andrew L Thorne-Lyman  6   7   8 , Per Magne Ueland  9   10 , Øivind Midtun  11   12 , Prakash S Shrestha  13 , Tor A Strand  14   15   16
Affiliations

Low Prevalence of Vitamin D Insufficiency among Nepalese Infants Despite High Prevalence of Vitamin D Insufficiency among Their Mothers

Johanne Haugen et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Background: Describing vitamin D status and its predictors in various populations is important in order to target public health measures.

Objectives: To describe the status and predictors of vitamin D status in healthy Nepalese mothers and infants.

Methods: 500 randomly selected Nepalese mother and infant pairs were included in a cross-sectional study. Plasma 25(OH)D concentrations were measured by LC-MS/MS and multiple linear regression analyses were used to identify predictors of vitamin D status.

Results: Among the infants, the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency (25(OH)D <50 nmol/L) and deficiency (<30 nmol/L) were 3.6% and 0.6%, respectively, in contrast to 59.8% and 14.0% among their mothers. Infant 25(OH)D concentrations were negatively associated with infant age and positively associated with maternal vitamin D status and body mass index (BMI), explaining 22% of the variability in 25(OH)D concentration. Global solar radiation, maternal age and BMI predicted maternal 25(OH)D concentration, explaining 9.7% of its variability.

Conclusion: Age and maternal vitamin D status are the main predictors of vitamin D status in infants in Bhaktapur, Nepal, who have adequate vitamin D status despite poor vitamin D status in their mothers.

Keywords: 25(OH)D; Nepal; infants; lactating mothers; season; vitamin D status.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study flow chart.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Infants and mothers 25(OH)D, and variability with month of the year (A) and global solar radiation (B). (A) 25(OH)D concentration by month 1–12 of the year (January–December) for infants (upper line) and mothers (lower line); (B) 25(OH)D concentration by global solar radiation for infants (upper line) and mothers (lower line).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Infants and mothers 25(OH)D, and variability with month of the year (A) and global solar radiation (B). (A) 25(OH)D concentration by month 1–12 of the year (January–December) for infants (upper line) and mothers (lower line); (B) 25(OH)D concentration by global solar radiation for infants (upper line) and mothers (lower line).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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