Vitamin D Supplements Fail to Prevent Child Bone Fractures
A large clinical trial involving over 8,000 children suggests that vitamin D supplements do not enhance bone strength or lower the risk of fractures in kids with a vitamin deficiency. ()
Around one-third of children have at least one fracture before the age of 18. This is a major global health issue, as childhood fractures can lead to life years of disability and/or poor quality of life. The findings, published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, challenges widely held perceptions relating to the effects of vitamin D on bone health.
Vitamin D Supplementation's Surprising Impact on Fracture Risk in Children
"The absence of any effect of sustained, generous vitamin D supplementation on fracture risk or bone strength in vitamin D deficient children is striking," said Dr. Ganmaa Davaasambuu, Associate Professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. "In adults, vitamin D supplementation works best for fracture prevention when calcium is given at the same time -- so the fact that we did not offer calcium alongside vitamin D to trial participants may explain the null findings from this study," Davaasambuu added.‘Research examines the limited impact of Vitamin D supplements on children's bone fracture prevention. #fracture #bonehealthinkids #vitaminD’
Researchers from Queen Mary University of London and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health conducted the trial on children from Mongolia -- a setting with a particularly high fracture burden and where vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent. Over the course of three years, 8,851 schoolchildren aged 6-13 living in Mongolia received a weekly oral dose of vitamin D supplementation.
About 95.5 percent of participants had vitamin D deficiency at baseline, and study supplements were highly effective in boosting vitamin D levels into the normal range. However, they had no effect on fracture risk or on bone strength, measured in a subset of 1,438 participants using quantitative ultrasound.
The findings are likely to prompt scientists, doctors and public health specialists to re-consider the effects of vitamin D supplements on bone health.
Reference:
- Vitamin D supplements for fracture prevention in schoolchildren in Mongolia - (https:www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587(23)00317-0/fulltext)