Abstract
Aim The study aims to estimate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and its association between maternal and child determinants among newborns of around 1 week of age attending the outpatient pediatric department at a pediatric hospital in a district capital in southern India.
Material and Method A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among a sample size of 100 newborns around 1 week of age. Data was collected using a pre-designed, pre-tested and semi-structured questionnaire by interviewing and a blood sample for vitamin D assay. The questionnaire consisted of socio-demographic information, details about the nutritional status of the newborn, breastfeeding, supplementation, any illnesses, and sun exposure. Other tools included an adult weighing scale, a measuring tape and a Cobas moduloanalyzer. Exclusion criteria: Those who had not consented, had a mother with known Vitamin D deficiency, or had known endocrine or renal disorders.
Results (Table 1): 15% of the newborns had insufficient vitamin D levels. The following were statistically significant: median difference in Birth weight with a P value of 0.0123, median difference of Calcium between Vitamin D Levels with a P value of 0.00033, Current baby weight with a P value of 0.0115, the median difference in total monthly income with a P value of 0.0310. The median difference in Birth order of this child, Age of the child, Direct bilirubin, Indirect bilirubin and Total bilirubin between Vitamin D Levels was statistically not significant.
Conclusions This study showed that the prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency among the study population is around 15%. This outcome is significant, particularly since Vitamin D is crucial at this stage of development and since deficiency at this point can have lifelong consequences for the child. Statistical analysis revealed that newborns’ vitamin D levels are significantly associated with socioeconomic indicators like monthly income, birth weight of baby, baby’s current weight and their calcium levels.