Table 3 (A) Major findings of the studies reporting the relationship between vitamin D3 and childhood infectious diarrhea (studies published between 2013 and 2016)
Study (first author’s name and year of publication) | Study aims | Study interventions | Study outcomes/endpoints | Major findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Aluisio et al. [17], 2013 | -To assess the effects of quarterly supplementation with 100 000 IU of vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) on children’s risk for recurrent diarrheal illnesses. | -Randomization of recruited infants to receive either oral vitamin D3 (n = 1524) or placebo (n = 1522) at 3-month intervals and followed for 18 months | -Diarrhea episodes * | -The incidences of diarrheal episodes of 3.43 (95% CI, 3.28–3.59) and 3.59 per child-year (95% CI, 3.44–3.76) in the placebo and intervention arms, respectively. -No effect on the risk for recurrent diarrheal disease in either intention-to-treat or per-protocol analyses |
Thornton et al. [23], 2013 | -To investigate the association of vitamin D status with gastrointestinal and ear infections in school-age children | -Measurement of plasma 25-hydroxy-vitamin D levels in a random sample of children (N = 475) to determine their baseline vitamin D status. They were followed up for an academic year | -Incidence rate ratios & 95% CI for days with diarrhea, vomiting, diarrhea with vomiting, cough with fever, and earache or discharge with fever. †| -Vitamin D deficiency,‡ associated with increased rates of diarrhea with vomiting (adjusted incidence rate ratio: 2.05; 95% CI: 1.19, 3.53) and earache/discharge with fever (adjusted incidence rate ratio: 2.36; 95% CI: 1.26, 4.44) |
Mileva et al. [15], 2014 | -To determine the vitamin D status in toddlers with acute diarrhea and evaluate its relationship with diarrhea severity | -Assay of circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in two groups of patients: Group A, with risk factors for severe diarrhea (n = 30), and Group B, without risk factors (n = 47) | -Diarrhea severity§ | -Patients in Group A were vitamin-D insufficient (median = 53.63 nmol/L), compared to those in Group B (median = 66.09 nmol/L). -Vitamin D deficiency (median = 49.20 nmol/L) was detected in children with severe diarrhea compared to vitamin D status in children (median = 64.93 nmol/L) with less severe diarrhea |
Talachian et al. [22], 2015 | -To compare the serum levels of zinc, vitamins A, and D in children with infectious diarrhea with a control group | -Measurement and comparison of baseline serum vitamin A, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, and zinc levels in 25 children admitted with acute diarrhea and 25 children without the infection | -Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, vitamin A, and zinc | -Significantly lower 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in the diarrhea group -No significant difference in the levels of vitamin A and zinc between diarrhea and control groups |
Bucak et al. [25], 2016 | -To compare serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level of hospitalized preschool children with rotaviral diarrhea with that of healthy controls | -Measurement and comparison of serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, parathormone, calcium, phosphate, alkaline phosphatase, complete blood count parameters, and C-reactive protein of preschool children with rotaviral diarrhea and controls without the infection | -Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D | -Significant differences between the mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels of rotaviral diarrhea patients (14.6 ± 8.7 ng/mL) and healthy controls (29.06 ± 6.51 ng/mL).¶ |