No Improvements Seen in Meeting AAP Vitamin D Intake Guidelines

MONDAY, May 18, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Since 2009, there has been no improvement in meeting the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines for vitamin D intake, according to a study published online May 18 in Pediatrics.

Alan E. Simon, M.D., from the National Institutes of Health in Rockville, Maryland, and Katherine A. Ahrens, Ph.D., M.P.H., from the Muskie School of Public Service at the University of Southern Maine in Portland, analyzed dietary recall data for infants aged 0 to 11 months in the 2009 to 2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The percentage meeting 2008 AAP vitamin D guidelines was estimated. Trends were assessed over time, and differences across demographic subgroups were explored.

The researchers found that 27.1 percent of U.S. infants met vitamin D intake guidelines in 2009 to 2016, with nonbreastfeeding infants significantly more likely than breastfeeding infants to meet guidelines (31.1 versus 20.5 percent). No significant changes were seen in the percentage of infants who met the guidelines from 2009-2010 to 2014-2015 overall and for both breastfeeding and nonbreastfeeding infants. Among breastfeeding infants, the likelihood of meeting guidelines was higher in homes with a family income ≥400 percent of the federal poverty level, a college graduate as head of household, and private insurance.

“These findings suggest that renewed consideration of how to best meet vitamin D intake guidelines is warranted,” the authors write.

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