Affiliations: Department of Medicine, Section of Endocrinology,
Diabetes, and Nutrition Vitamin D, Skin and Bone Research Laboratory, Boston
University Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
Note: [] Corresponding author: Michael F. Holick, Boston University
School of Medicine, 85 East Newton Street, M-1013, Boston MA 02118, USA. Tel.:
+1 617 638 4546; Fax: +1 617 638 8882; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: Some of the clinically significant causes of vitamin D deficiency in
children are secondary to inadequate dietary intake, limited sun exposure,
disease states causing malabsorption (celiac disease, gastric and small bowel
resection, pancreatic insufficiency from cystic fibrosis) and altered
metabolism secondary to medications. In utero and during childhood vitamin D
deficiency can have a myriad of health consequences extending beyond
musculoskeletal health to acute and chronic disease. In this review, it
discusses the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, clinical spectrum of disease
presentations in children with emphasis in children with disabilities, vitamin
D's role in bone and nonskeletal heath as well as recommendations for
prevention and treatment of vitamin D deficiency.
