Estimations of Dietary Vitamin D Requirements in Black and White Children

BACKGROUND: The Institute of Medicine (IOM) dietary guidelines for vitamin D are based on limited pediatric data. Our objective was to estimate the dietary vitamin D requirements for maintaining serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations at the various IOM-considered thresholds of vitamin D status (12, 16, and 20 ng/mL) during fall and winter in children. METHODS: Ninety-six healthy 8- to 14-yr-old Pittsburgh-area black and white children enrolled in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of vitamin D(3) 1000 IU daily for 6 months with baseline and 2 month follow-up assessments completed during October through April were studied. Vitamin D intake from diet and study supplement adjusted for adherence and serum 25(OH)D were measured. RESULTS: The vitamin D intakes needed to maintain serum 25(OH)D concentrations at 12, 16, and 20 ng/mL in 90% of the children were 581, 1062, and 1543 IU/day, respectively. The estimated vitamin D intakes needed to maintain serum 25(OH)D concentrations at 20 ng/mL in 97.5% of the children was 2098 IU/day. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that the current vitamin D recommended dietary allowance (RDA) (600 IU/day) is insufficient to cover the skeletal health needs of at least 50% of black and white children.