Vitamin D status in children with cerebral palsy

Abstract

Background: The aim of the study was to find the prevalence of vitamin D status - vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency in children with cerebral palsy and to compare them with normal children. To identify the risk factors associated with vitamin D deficiency in these children.Methods: A prospective case control study was done in 200 children in Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, Ammapettai, Thiruporur, Tamil Nadu, India over a period of one year from December 2014 to December 2015 after obtaining approval from institutional ethical committee. Study group contained 100 children with cerebral palsy. 100 Age and sex matched children were taken as controls. Children included in the study were between 1 to 12 years. All children were subjected to the following investigations: serum calcium-total, serum phosphorus, serum alkaline phosphatase (SAP) levels. These were determined by an automated analyzer. The 25OH vitamin D levels were estimated by CLIA (chemi luminescence immunoassay) method. Results: Vitamin D deficiency was observed in 32 (32%) and insufficiency in 61 (61%) of children with cerebral palsy in case group. Similarly, vitamin D status studied in control children was found that majority of them 49 (49%) was normal. While 38 (38%) were vitamin D insufficient, 13 (13%) showed deficient levels (p <0.0000001).Conclusions: The presence of feeding difficulties, poor sunlight exposure, poor nutritional status, and the use of antiepileptic drugs, type of CP and the functional grade of CP had statistically significant association with Vitamin D deficiency in these children.