Vitamin D and calcium status in urban children attending an ambulatory clinic service in the United Arab Emirates

Background: Maintaining a normal vitamin D status is important for both skeletal and extra-skeletal health. Recent data show that vitamin D deficiency is endemic in women residing in the Arabian Gulf and is common in pregnant women and their newborns. The purpose of this study was to establish the vitamin D and calcium status of children in an urban ambulatory pediatric clinic in Abu Dhabi to determine for the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in this cohort. Methods: Patients were recruited prospectively from the pediatric outpatient clinic visits, if they were having blood taken for laboratory investigations other than those related to vitamin D and calcium status. The vitamin D status was compared between 4 age groups (0–0.9 y, 1–1.9 y, 2–7.9 y and 8 -14 y) using the following definitions: deficiency < 25 nmol/l, insufficiency 25–50 nmol/l and sufficiency > 50 nmol/l. Results: A total of 183 children were included in the study. The percentage of females and males in the deficient range was 21% and 16% respectively, while 32% and 46% of females and males respectively were vitamin D sufficient. The highest prevalence of vitamin D deficiency occurred in the 8–14 y old age group with 31.2% being deficient. Conclusions: The study highlights that in an ambulatory pediatric clinic population, peri-pubescent children are most at risk of vitamin D deficiency. This age group is often not considered in the discussion for the need for vitamin D supplementation. Serious consideration should be given to including vitamin D supplementation in a school public health program in the UAE.