Vitamin D Supplementation for the Treatment of Acute Childhood Pneumonia: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background. Studies have found an increased incidence of vitamin D deficiency in children with pneumonia; however, there is no conclusive data regarding the direct effect of vitamin D supplementation in acute pneumonia. Methods. A comprehensive search was performed of the major electronic databases till September 2013. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing treatment with vitamin D3 versus placebo in children ≤5 years old with pneumonia were included. Results. Out of 32 full text articles, 2 RCTs including 653 children were eligible for inclusion. One trial used a single 100,000 unit of oral vitamin D3 at the onset of pneumonia. There was no significant difference in the mean (±SD) number of days to recovery between the vitamin D3 and placebo arms (P = 0.17). Another trial used oral vitamin D3 (1000 IU for <1 year and 2000 IU for >1 year) for 5 days in children with severe pneumonia. Median duration of resolution of severe pneumonia was similar in the two groups (intervention, 72 hours; placebo, 64 hours). Duration of hospitalization and time to resolution of tachypnea, chest retractions, and inability to feed were also comparable between the two groups. Conclusions. Oral vitamin D supplementation does not help children under-five with acute pneumonia.

Vitamin D and its role in the management and prevention of lower respiratory tract infections in infants and young children

“…Peak concentrations of 25(OH)D were found 3 days after bolus administration, which is longer than the time taken for resolution of the clinical features of severe pneumonia (median approximately 30 hours). The findings of Gupta, et al [5] are in keeping with two other studies which reported a lack of a therapeutic effect of acute vitamin D supplementation on the rate of resolution of acute pneumonia [7]. The second aspect of the study by Gupta, et al [5] was to assess the effect of vitamin D supplementation on the incidence of recurrence of pneumonia over six months.…”

Efficacy of vitamin D in children with pneumonia: a randomized control trial study

“…A systematic review done by Das et al discussed the ineffectiveness of vitamin D in pneumonia comparing two separate randomized trials [20]. One of the trial had used a single dose [12] whereas the other had used multiple doses with daily dosing schedule [19].…”

Vitamin-D Deficiency Predicts Infections in Young North Indian Children: A Secondary Data Analysis

“…Observational studies have shown mixed results; while some studies showed evidence of association between vitamin-D status and clinical pneumonia, others did not find any association [35][36][37][38]. A recent systematic review concluded that there was no evidence of therapeutic vitamin D supplementation among under-5 children in the management of clinical pneumonia [39]. This result can be explained by that vitamin-D plays a role in the defense against infection but once infection has taken place, other factors determine its course and whether it will resolve or not.…”