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Calcium and vitamin D intake and biochemical tests in short-stature children and adolescents

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 64, pages 1296–1301 (2010)Cite this article

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Abstract

Background:

Growth is highly dependent on the absorption of nutrients. Inadequate calcium and vitamin D intake may compromise bone mineralization and growth. There is a great deal of concern regarding calcium and vitamin D intake, as well as biochemical changes in children and adolescents, which led us to investigate calcium and vitamin D levels during growth.

Methods:

Fifty-eight children and adolescents with short stature (z-score <3 s.d.) were evaluated from September 2005 to February 2007. Blood biochemical analyses and 24-h urine tests were performed and were used to evaluate calcium, phosphorus, creatinine, sodium, alkaline phosphatase, parathyroid hormone (PTH) and 25(OH)D levels. Dietary inquiries, repeated three times, were used to estimate the actual intake of these substances.

Results:

A reduced calcium (608.6 mg/day) and vitamin D (72.5 IU/day) intake was observed. Calcium excretion in 24-h urine (56 mg/24 h) and calcium excretion by weight (2.0 mg/24 h/kg) showed scores that were below normal. A negative correlation between PTH and both dietary vitamin D (r=−0.46; P<0.01) and calcium intake (r =−0.41; P<0.001) was observed.

Conclusions:

The low calcium and vitamin D intake observed in short-stature children and adolescents was associated with biochemical results, and suggested that PTH and calcium excretion may be useful screening tests for evaluating dietary calcium and vitamin D.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the employees and residents of the Short Stature Clinic at the Endocrine Service of Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre for their kind help in the topics requested. We are also grateful to the Fundo de Incentivo à Pesquisa e Eventos (FIPE) at the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, to Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) and to Centro de Endocrinologia e Diabetes do Rio Grande do Sul (CEDERS) for the financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Serviço de Endocrinologia, Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Porgrama de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Médicas: Endocrinologia e Nutrição, Faculdade de Medicina, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil

    A L Bueno, M A Czepielewski & F V Raimundo

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  1. A L Bueno
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  2. M A Czepielewski
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Correspondence to A L Bueno.

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Bueno, A., Czepielewski, M. & Raimundo, F. Calcium and vitamin D intake and biochemical tests in short-stature children and adolescents. Eur J Clin Nutr 64, 1296–1301 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2010.156

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