Vitamin D can help children with malnutrition in development

How does vitamin D affect children's malnutrition?

Malnutrition is a big problem in some countries of our world. Researchers have now found that high-dose vitamin D supplements support weight gain and help develop speech and motor skills in seriously malnourished children.

Researchers at the University of the Punjab and Queen Mary University of London found in their recent research that taking high-dose vitamin D supplements can help undernourished children gain weight. The experts published the results of their study in the English-language journal "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition".

About 20 million children suffer from severe malnutrition

Severe acute malnutrition is the most extreme form of malnutrition. Affected children have a very low weight for their size and suffer from severe muscle atrophy. In addition, sufferers may also have swollen feet, face and limbs. Around 20 million children worldwide are affected by severe malnutrition, mainly in Asia and Africa, where it is one of the leading causes of death. Children with severe acute malnutrition usually also have a low vitamin D level. This micronutrient is important for the health of muscles and bones and for maintaining a healthy immune system, explain the physicians.

Vitamin D deficiency leads to muscle atrophy

Vitamin D deficiency is a known risk factor for muscle wasting in malnourished children, but the standard treatment - a high-energy dietary paste - contains relatively small amounts of this vital micronutrient. Previous research suggested that vitamin D might help treat malnutrition, as it has both anti-infective and anti-inflammatory properties. These properties are specific to vitamin D, so the researchers looked at the effect of the micronutrient in children with severe malnutrition. People with severe acute malnutrition are more susceptible to infections and excessive inflammation.

1.4 million malnourished children live in Pakistan

The investigation was conducted in southern Punjab in Pakistan. There are estimated to be about 1.4 million children with severe acute malnutrition in this country, researchers say. It was investigated whether a high dose of vitamin D accelerates the recovery of 185 malnourished children. The age of the participating children was between six months and four years. The subjects were all given a standard food paste. The standard food paste for the treatment of malnutrition, however, contains only relatively small amounts of vitamin D, explain the scientists.

Subjects were divided into two groups

Ninety-three children were randomized to receive two doses of 5 mg vitamin D orally in 1 ml of olive oil, while 92 children were randomized to receive placebo. Both groups also received standard treatment for severe acute malnutrition. During the study, neither the children nor their parents or the study staff knew which children were in the active group or in the control group. By this effect, a distortion of the study results should be avoided, explain the physicians.

Effects of Taking Vitamin D.

After two months of treatment, the children receiving high-dose vitamin D had a significantly better weight gain (0.26 kg additional weight gain compared to the children who received the placebo). These children also showed significantly better motor and language development, say the authors of the study. All participants were screened for symptoms of hypercalcaemia (elevated blood calcium - a recognized complication of vitamin D toxicity). None of the children could detect these symptoms. At the end of the study, calcium levels were also checked in a subgroup of 90 children. The calcium level was not higher in children taking vitamin D than in children from the control group.

Further research is needed

The results of the current study suggest that high-dose vitamin D may be an important low-cost factor in the treatment of severely malnourished children. However, the results must be backed up by further studies before high-dose vitamin D can be included in standard treatment, the experts explain. In particular, his further clinical studies will be needed to see if the results can be reproduced in other countries where severe acute malnutrition is a problem. A larger study with a longer period of follow-up is already planned in Pakistan. The aim is to find out if high-dose vitamin D can lower mortality in children with the most severe form of acute malnutrition. (As)