COVID-19 pandemic leading to unidentified, silent-pandemic of vitamin D deficiency in young children: a case report

Authors

  • Manasvee Dewan Department of Microbiology, Janakpuri Super Speciality Hospital Society, New Delhi, India
  • Neha Sharma Department of Microbiology, Janakpuri Super Speciality Hospital Society, New Delhi, India
  • Pragyan Swagatika Panda Department of Microbiology, Janakpuri Super Speciality Hospital Society, New Delhi, India
  • Priyanka Banerjee Department of Microbiology, Janakpuri Super Speciality Hospital Society, New Delhi, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20214617

Keywords:

COVID-19, Pandemic, Vitamin D, Deficiency, Rickets

Abstract

Vitamin D is a pro hormone needed for the homeostasis of calcium and phosphorus in the body. This state is crucial for maintaining metabolism, nerve conduction and general cellular functions in the body. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to long-term lockdowns. Schools are closed, people are confined to their homes and outdoor activities are at a halt. This has led to rise in cases of vitamin D deficiency (particularly in infants and toddlers) which is going un-noticed and can further lead us to another pandemic of non-communicable disease - vitamin D deficiency. We have presented a case report of healing rickets in a 19-month-old toddler. We aim to highlight this under-diagnosed and ignored vitamin deficiency that can affect the overall health of our younger generation in this COVID-19 era.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

Casey CS, Slawson DC, Neal LR. Vitamin D supplementation in infants, children, and adolescents. American family physician. 2010;81(6):745-8.

Folsom LJ, Linda A. DiMeglio. Recommendations released on prevention, management of rickets. American academy of Paediatrics. Available at: https://www.aappublications.org/news/2017/02/10/Rickets021017. Accessed on 20 May 2021.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vitamin D. 2021. Available at: https://www.cdc.g ov/breastfeeding/breastfeeding-special-circums tances/diet-and-micronutrients/vitamin-d.html. Accessed on 20 May 2021.

National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin D. Available at: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/. Accessed on 20 May 2021.

Wacker M, Holick MF. Sunlight and Vitamin D: A global perspective for health. Dermatoendocrinol. 2013;5(1):51-108.

Nair R, Maseeh A. Vitamin D: The "sunshine" vitamin. Journal of pharmacology & pharmacotherapeutics. 2012;3(2):118-26.

Dawson-Hughes BD. Patient education: Vitamin D deficiency (Beyond the Basics) UpToDate®. Available at: https://www.uptodate.com/ contents/vitamin-d-deficiency-beyond-the-basics /print. Accessed on 20 May 2021.

Nield LS, Mahajan P, Joshi A, Kamat D. Rickets: not a disease of the past. American family physician. 2006;74(4):619-26.

Wong RS, Tung KTS, So HK, Wong WHS, Wong SY, Tsang HW et al. Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Serum Vitamin D Level among Infants and Toddlers: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis and before-and-after Comparison. Nutrients. 2021;13:1270.

Yu L, Ke HJ, Che D, Luo SL, Guo Y, Wu JL. Effect of Pandemic-Related Confinement on Vitamin D Status Among Children Aged 0–6 Years in Guangzhou, China: A Cross-Sectional Study. Risk Manag Healthc Policy. 2020;13:2669-75.

Kang HM, Jeong DC, Suh BK, Ahn MB. The Impact of the Coronavirus Disease-2019 Pandemic on Childhood Obesity and Vitamin D Status. Journal of Korean medical science. 2021;36(3):e21.

Aparna P, Muthathal S, Nongkynrih B, Gupta SK. Vitamin D deficiency in India. J Family Med Prim Care. 2018;7:324-30.

Rickets cases rising since last year, kids of affluent families getting afflicted: Delhi hospital Times of India. 2021. Available at: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/rickets-cases-rising-since-last-year-kids-of-affluent-families-getting-afflicted-delhi. Accessed on 20 May 2021.

GR, Gupta A. Vitamin D deficiency in India: prevalence, causalities and interventions. Nutrients. 2014;6(2):729-75.

National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). Vitamin D Deficiency Rickets. 2020. Available at: https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/rickets-vitamin-d-deficiency/. Accessed on 20 May 2021.

Downloads

Published

2021-11-24

How to Cite

Dewan, M., Sharma, N., Panda, P. S., & Banerjee, P. (2021). COVID-19 pandemic leading to unidentified, silent-pandemic of vitamin D deficiency in young children: a case report. International Journal Of Community Medicine And Public Health, 8(12), 6068–6070. https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20214617

Issue

Section

Case Reports