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British Journal of Nutrition British Journal of Nutrition

Article contents

Vitamin D supplementation for the prevention of childhood acute respiratory infections: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 August 2015

Limin Xiao ,
Chao Xing ,
Zhongrong Yang ,
Shaojun Xu ,
Min Wang ,
Huarong Du ,
Kai Liu  and
Zhaohui Huang
Limin Xiao
Affiliation:
Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230601, Anhui Province, People's Republic of China
Chao Xing
Affiliation:
Shaoxing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shaoxing 312000, Zhejiang Province, People's Republic of China
Zhongrong Yang
Affiliation:
Huzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Huzhou 313000, Zhejiang Province, People's Republic of China
Shaojun Xu
Affiliation:
Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, Anhui, People's Republic of China
Min Wang
Affiliation:
Anhui Institute of Schistosomiasis Control, Hefei 230061, Anhui Province, People's Republic of China
Huarong Du
Affiliation:
Anhui Provincial Family Planning Institute of Science and Technology, Hefei 230031, Anhui Province, People's Republic of China
Kai Liu
Affiliation:
Anhui Provincial Family Planning Institute of Science and Technology, Hefei 230031, Anhui Province, People's Republic of China
Zhaohui Huang*
Affiliation:
Anhui Provincial Family Planning Institute of Science and Technology, Hefei 230031, Anhui Province, People's Republic of China
*
* Corresponding author: Z. Huang, fax +86 551 65171426, email huangzh_cdc@163.com
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Abstract

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Results from recent trials assessing the effect of vitamin D supplementation on the prevention of childhood acute respiratory infections (ARI) have been inconsistent. In the present study, we determined whether vitamin D supplementation prevents ARI in healthy children and repeated infections in children with previous ARI. We conducted a systematic literature search using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. The search included only randomised controlled clinical trials (RCT) comparing vitamin D supplementation with either placebo or no intervention in children younger than 18 years of age. We identified seven RCT and found that the summary estimates were not statistically significantly associated with a reduction in the risk of ARI (relative risk (RR) 0·79, 95 % CI 0·55, 1·13), all-cause mortality (RR 1·18, 95 % CI 0·71, 1·94), or the rate of hospital admission due to respiratory infection in healthy children (RR 0·95, 95 % CI 0·72, 1·26). However, in children previously diagnosed with asthma, vitamin D supplementation resulted in a 74 % reduction in the risk of asthma exacerbation (RR 0·26, 95 % CI 0·11, 0·59; test of heterogeneity, I 2= 0·0 %). Our findings indicate a lack of evidence supporting the routine use of vitamin D supplementation for the prevention of ARI in healthy children; however, they suggest that such supplementation may benefit children previously diagnosed with asthma. Due to the heterogeneity of the included studies and possible publication biases related to this field, these results should be interpreted with caution.

Keywords

Vitamin DAcute respiratory infectionsRandomised controlled trials
Type
Review Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 114 , Issue 7 , 14 October 2015 , pp. 1026 - 1034
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Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2015 

References

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