Vitamin D deficiency and low hemoglobin level as risk factors for severity of acute lower respiratory tract infections in Egyptian children : a case-control study

Abstract EN

Objective: Acute lower respiratory tract infection (ALRTI) is an important cause of morbidity in the developed world, and both morbidity and mortality in the developing world.

Vitamin D has a major role in both acquired and innate immunity.

Anemic children have less oxygen carrying capacity of blood.

This study was done to determine the relation between vitamin D deficiency, anemia and the severity of ALRTIs in hospitalized children.

Methods: This study included 96 hospitalized infants with ALRTI, 48 diagnosed with pneumonia and 48 with bronchiolitis.

Mean age was 10.67 ± 3.143 months.

Matched age and sex infants with no respiratory illness were included.

Serum 25 hydroxy vitamin D was measured in all cases and controls by Radio-immune assay.

Hemoglobin level was measured by Coulter.

Results: Vitamin D deficiency and low hemoglobin level were positively correlated with the severity of ALRTIs (r = 0.798 and P = 0.001) and (r =0.708, P =0.028), respectively.

Low vitamin D level was significantly correlated with low hemoglobin level (r = 0.708, P = 0.028).

Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency was associated with severity of ALRTIs.

Low hemoglobin level was more prevalent in those children.

Improving the nutritional status in children by preventing vitamin D deficiency and low hemoglobin might influence the outcome of children with ALRTI.