Simon Vieth
Vitamin D supplementation produced consistent and clinically meaningful increases in serum 25(OH)D concentrations across diverse pediatric populations. The approximately 20-25 nmol/L increase observed across the included studies was broadly consistent with published pediatric vitamin D supplementation literature. These findings support current supplementation practices while highlighting the reproducibility of biochemical response across independent pediatric research settings.
BACKGROUND: Vitamin D deficiency remains common among infants and young children, particularly in higher latitudes and among exclusively breast-fed infants. Although routine supplementation is widely recommended, variability in achieved serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations has been reported across pediatric populations. Understanding the consistency of biochemical response across diverse pediatric settings remains clinically relevant for both research and supplementation practice.
OBJECTIVE: To summarize evidence from pediatric clinical studies utilizing a standardized vitamin D formulation and to assess the magnitude and consistency of serum 25(OH)D response across independent investigator-initiated studies.
METHODS: Relevant studies were identified through company-supported research records and a supplementary PubMed search. Eligible publications were published between 2010 and 2020 and included infants or children ≤18 years receiving vitamin D supplementation with reported baseline and follow-up 25(OH)D concentrations. Studies were required to explicitly identify the study formulation and report serum 25(OH)D outcomes. A narrative synthesis approach was applied.
RESULTS: Seven studies (Canada, Australia, Vietnam, and Mongolia; total n ≈ 3,800) met inclusion criteria. Supplementation doses ranged from 400 IU/day to 14,000 IU/week across study durations of 1-12 months. Mean baseline 25(OH)D concentrations (≈53 nmol/L) increased to ≈75 nmol/L (mean Δ ≈22 nmol/L). Daily supplementation at 400 IU achieved sufficiency in the majority of infants, while higher-dose regimens produced proportionally greater increases. No study reported clinically significant adverse events attributable to supplementation.
CONCLUSION: Vitamin D supplementation produced consistent and clinically meaningful increases in serum 25(OH)D concentrations across diverse pediatric populations. The approximately 20-25 nmol/L increase observed across the included studies was broadly consistent with published pediatric vitamin D supplementation literature. These findings support current supplementation practices while highlighting the reproducibility of biochemical response across independent pediatric research settings.