Free vitamin D supplementation for every infant in Turkey.

摘要

We read with interest the article by Zipitis el al concerning primary care trusts providing funds for vitamin D supplementation of Asian children for at least the first 2 years of life.Nutritional rickets remains prevalent in developing regions of the world such as Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Asia and the Middle East, and ranks among the five most common diseases in children. The prevalence of nutritional rickets in developed countries also seems to be rising.In Turkey, nutritional rickets has long been among the leading diseases in childhood. Although the prevalence is not known, a recent study indicates that 6% of children <3 years of age presenting to a general outpatient clinic were found to have nutritional rickets.Maternal vitamin D deficiency is also endemic. Severe vitamin D deficiency was identified in 46-80% of pregnant women and nursing mothers in different regions of Turkey. Similarly, almost half of the Turkish adolescent girls have varying degrees of vitamin D deficiency.