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Hypovitaminosis D and hypocalcemic seizures in infancy

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Abstract

Background

Hypocalcemia accounts for a majority of seizures in infants reporting to the emergency ward of our hospital.

Objective

To evaluate the role of Vitamin D deficiency in the etiology of hypocalcemic seizures in infancy.

Design and Setting

Cross sectional hospital based study, from April 2006-March 2007.

Subjects

60 infants with hypocalcemic seizures and their mothers (study group) and 60 healthy breastfed infants with their lactating mothers (control group).

Measurements

Vitamin D [25(OH) D] and intact parathormone levels.

Results

High prevalence of hypovitaminosis D [25(OH)D levels<10 ng/mL] was observed in study mothers (85%), control mothers (50%), study infants (90%), and control infants (41.7%). Mean serum 25(OH) D values in study mothers and their infants (6.54 ± 5.32 ng/mL and 4.92 ± 4.62 ng/mL) were significantly lower than those of motherinfant pairs (9.06 ± 4.78 ng/mL and 9.03 ± 4.63 ng/mL) in the control group (P<0.001). A strong positive correlation of 25(OH) D levels between mothers and their infants was seen in both the study and control populations (P<0.001). Of the 54 study infants who had 25(OH)D levels<10ng/mL, 48 (89%) were born to mothers who also had 25(OH) D levels<10ng/mL.

Conclusions

Vitamin D deficiency is a major cause of hypocalcemic seizures in infants. Infants born to vitamin D deficient mothers are at a significantly higher risk to develop hypocalcemic seizures.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Kalawati Saran Hospital, New Delhi, India

    P. Mehrotra, S. Aneja, Anju Seth & B. M. Singla

  2. Department of Endocrinology and Thyroid Research Centre, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences, Delhi, India

    R. K. Marwaha, Ganie Ashraf, B. Sharma & Aparna Sastry

  3. Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India

    N. Tandon

  4. Department of Endocrinology and Thyroid Research Centre, INMAS, Delhi, 110 054, India

    R. K. Marwaha

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  1. P. Mehrotra
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Correspondence to R. K. Marwaha.

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Mehrotra, P., Marwaha, R.K., Aneja, S. et al. Hypovitaminosis D and hypocalcemic seizures in infancy. Indian Pediatr 47, 581–586 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13312-010-0131-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13312-010-0131-1

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