Comparison of metabolism of vitamins D2and D3in children with nutritional rickets

Abstract

Children with calcium-deficiency rickets may have increased vitamin D requirements and respond differently to vitamin D2 and vitamin D3. Our objective was to compare the metabolism of vitamins D2 and D 3 in rachitic and control children. We administered an oral single dose of vitamin D2 or D3 of 1.25mg to 49 Nigerian children - 28 with active rickets and 21 healthy controls. The primary outcome measure was the incremental change in vitamin D metabolites. Baseline serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations ranged from 7 to 24 and 15 to 34 ng/mL in rachitic and control children, respectively (p