CHSJ

Curr Health Sci J, vol. 51, no. 4, 2025

Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency and its Association with Disease Severity in Children Hospitalized with Acute Respiratory Infections

[Original Paper]

M. NICOLAE(1), C.M. MIHAI(1,2,3), T. CHISNOIU(2,3), O.C. ARGHIR(1,4)


(1)Phd School of Medicine, Ovidius University of Constanta, Romania;
(2)Department of Pediatrics, County Clinical Emergency Hospital of Constanta, Romania;
(3) 4thDepartment of Clinical Internal Medicine, Faculty of General Medicine, “Ovidius” University, Constanta, Romania;
(4)Clinical Pneumology Hospital, Constanta, Romania


Abstract:

Background: Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is highly prevalent in pediatric patients, and it has been implicated in the pathogenesis and clinical severity of acute respiratory infections (ARI). Objectives: To evaluate the prevalence of VDD and its association with ARI disease severity and clinical outcomes in hospitalized pediatric patients. Methods: A 4-year prospective case-control study, conducted between 2021 and 2024, in two Romanian pediatric hospitals, included 400 inpatients, aged 0-18 years, admitted for ARI. Patients were stratified into cases with a low level of vitamin D (n=200) and controls with a normal vitamin D (n=200). Clinical severity of ARI, inflammatory biomarkers, presence of fever, need for supplemental oxygen, and length of hospital stay were recorded and analyzed in both cases and controls. Results: Low serum vitamin D levels were significantly associated with severe ARI (26.5% vs. 5.5%), fever at admission (61.0% vs. 32.0%), and increased requirement for oxygen therapy (69.5% vs. 21.0%). Cases also exhibited higher C-reactive protein levels (3.50 vs. 1.64mg/L), higher clinical severity scores (3.77 vs. 1.62), and longer hospital length of stay (4.68 vs. 2.89 days). Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency was strongly associated with increased disease severity and adverse clinical outcomes in pediatric inpatients with ARI.


Keywords: Vitamin D deficiency, acute respiratory infections, disease severity, pediatrics.



Corresponding: Tatiana Chisnoiu, Department of Pediatrics, County Clinical Emergency Hospital of Constanta, 4thDepartment of Clinical Internal Medicine, Faculty of General Medicine, "Ovidius" University, Constanta, Romania, e-mail: tatiana_ceafcu@yahoo.com


DOI 10.12865/CHSJ.51.04.07 - Download PDF
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