Turkish Archives of Pediatrics
Original Article

Association Between Vitamin D Levels and COVID-19 Infection in Children: A Case-Control Study

1.

Department of General Pediatrics, University of Health Sciences Gülhane Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey

2.

Department of Pediatric Neurology, University of Health Sciences Gülhane Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey

Turk Arch Pediatr 2023; 58: 250-255
DOI: 10.5152/TurkArchPediatr.2023.22217
Read: 601 Downloads: 335 Published: 01 May 2023

Objective: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection is seen in all age groups, and its symptoms are very variable. The course of the disease can be asymptomatic or mortal. In pediatric patients, vitamin D is thought to be protective against (COVID-19) with its immunomodulator, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and epithelial integrity properties. Our aim is to investigate the relationship between (COVID-19) infection and vitamin D level.

Materials and Methods: We included (COVID-19) patients between 1 month and 18 years of age and healthy control groups. We compared epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, and imaging findings in patients.

Results: One hundred forty-nine patients were evaluated in our study. Seventy-three (49%) of them were (COVID-19)-positive patients and 76 (51%) of them were healthy control group. The mean 25(OH)-D vitamin level was 15.80 ng/mL (5‐41.56) in (COVID-19) patients and 21.51 ng/mL (5-69.80) in the control group. Vitamin D level was shown to be statistically significantly lower in coronavirus disease 2019 patients (P < .001). It was observed that myalgia was more common in patients with low 25(OH)-D levels (P < .048).

Conclusion: Our study is one of the rare studies examining the relationship between (COVID19) and 25(OH)-D vitamins in the pediatric age group. Children with (COVID-19) have a lower 25(OH)-D vitamin level than the control group.

Cite this article as: Bayrak H, Öztürk D, Bolat A, Ünay B. Association between vitamin D levels and COVID-19 Infection in children: A case-control study. Turk Arch Pediatr. 2023;58(3):250-255.

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