Pediatric health, medicine and therapeutics
Vitamin D Deficiency Among Hospitalized Children with Community-Acquired Pneumonia: Prevalence and Association with Disease Severity
By Abdinia B, Dastranji A, Abedifard Y and 1 others.
Abstract
Background
Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains an important cause of pediatric hospitalization and severe respiratory illness. Vitamin D has recognized roles in skeletal health and immune regulation, but its relationship with pneumonia severity in children remains uncertain. This study evaluated serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D status in hospitalized children with CAP and explored its association with disease severity and clinical outcomes.
Methods
This single-center prospective observational cohort study included 100 hospitalized children aged 2 months to 15 years with radiographically confirmed CAP at a tertiary pediatric referral hospital in Tabriz, Iran. Pneumonia severity was classified as mild/moderate or severe according to British Thoracic Society criteria. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, inflammatory markers, clinical features, radiographic findings, hospitalization duration, pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission, and in-hospital mortality were assessed. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D <30 nmol/L.