European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Abstract

Introduction: Vitamin D deficiency is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies in the world with approximately one billion people at risk. It is on the rise in developed countries, even in Australia where there is an abundance of sunlight. Additional risk factors among newly settled refugees include veiling, dietary deficiencies, darker skin colour and unfamiliarity with the local healthcare system. More specifically, in Australian children with vitamin D deficiency rickets, risk factors include dark skin and maternal veiling with 96-98% of these being children migrants or born to a migrant parent.
Materials & Methods: This study was conducted in a tertiary centre, of Karnataka, India., randomized controlled study was conducted at a tertiary care, between Jan 2018 and Dec 2019. We aimed to compare the efficacy of daily vs. low dose depot oral vitamin D3 for treating nutritional rickets. We conducted a randomised controlled trial in the department of paediatrics of a tertiary care hospital catering to semi-urban and rural population in Karnataka, India. We randomised 30 children, aged 3 months to 5 years with nutritional rickets to receive either daily oral vitamin D3 drops (3-12 months: 2000 IU; > 12 months to 5 years: 4000 IU; n 33) for 12 weeks duration or a single oral depot dose of vitamin D3 granules (3-12 months: 60 000 IU; > 12 months to 5 years: 150 000 IU; n 33). Participants in both groups had comparable demographic characteristics, laboratory features and radiological severity of rickets.