Clinical Presentations of Vitamin D Deficiency in Children at King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Abstract

Objectives: This study assessed clinical presentations of vitamin D deficiency in Saudi Arabian children. Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted in the Paediatric Clinic at King Abdul-Aziz UniversityHospital in Jeddah from March to September 2015. This study included 371 healthy children, not known to have any medical illnesses between the ages of 2 and 18 years old discovered to have vitamin D deficiency. The families of the children were asked if they noticed any symptoms of vitamin D deficiency in their children. A diagnosis of vitamin D deficiency was made if blood tests found low levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, there is no other test done to them. Results: Of the population studied, 35 children had a past history of bone fractures, 70 had bone or joint pain, 55 had fatigue, 16 had depression, 28 experienced delayed teething, 7 had a bone deformity, 23 experienced delayed walking, 11 had delayed closure of fontanels, 5 had developmental delays, 4 exhibited rachitic rosary, 8 had bowing of the legs, 2 had kyphosis, and 71 children were asymptomatic. Conclusion: Joint pain was the most common presentation of the disorder followed by asymptomatic vitamin D deficiency in this population. So, routine screening for preschool children and adolescent is necessary to early detect and provide effective treatment.