Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #248571
Title: Calcium absorption and vitamin D status in school age children

Author
item ABRAMS, STEVEN - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item HICKS, PENNI - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item HAWTHORNE, KELI - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)

Submitted to: Journal of Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/8/2009
Publication Date: 4/20/2009
Citation: Abrams, S.A., Hicks, P.D., Hawthorne, K.M. 2009. Calcium absorption and vitamin D status in school age children [abstract]. Journal of Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. 23:112.4.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Increasing serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-D) in adults may enhance calcium absorption (Ca-Abs). There are few similar pediatric data. We evaluated the relationship between 25-D and Ca-Abs by pooling data from 439 Ca-Abs measurements over a 15-yr period at our center in 251 healthy children 4.9 to 16.7 yrs of age. Serum 25-D ranged from 28 to 197 nmol/L (Mean 85 nmol/L). Ca-Abs was correlated to 25-D in the whole population, r = 0.16, p = 0.001. This relationship was closer in the 197 studies in early puberty (Tanner 2 or 3), r = 0.35, p < 0.001. We found no close relationship between Ca-Abs and 25-D in the 206 studies in which 25-D was <80 nmol/L (r= 0.08, p = 0.24), including the 113 studies conducted in early puberty (r = 0.002, p = 0.98). In early puberty, Ca-Abs was 111 +/- 21 mg/d (SEM) greater in studies in which 25-D was >80 nmol/L compared to those in which it was <80 nmol/L. This difference was not seen in prepubertal (Tanner 1) or postpubertal (Tanner 4 or 5) subjects. Improving vitamin D status may have limited effects on Ca-Abs in healthy children except when 25-D >80 nmol/L is achieved during early puberty.