Do infants with cow's milk protein allergy have inadequate levels of vitamin D?

Cristiane M. Silva, Silvia A. da Silva, Margarida M. de C. Antunes, Gisélia Alves Pontes da Silva, Emanuel Sávio Cavalcanti Sarinho, Katia G. Brandt

To verify whether infants with cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA) have inadequate vitamin D levels. This cross-sectional study included 120 children aged 2 years or younger, one group with CMPA and a control group. The children were recruited at the pediatric gastroenterology, allergology, and pediatric outpatient clinics of a university hospital in the Northeast of Brazil. A questionnaire was administered to the caregiver and blood samples were collected for vitamin D quantification. Vitamin D levels <30ng/mL were considered inadequate. Vitamin D level was expressed as mean and standard deviation, and the frequency of the degrees of sufficiency and other variables, as proportions. Infants with CMPA had lower mean vitamin D levels (30.93 vs.35.29ng/mL; p=0.041) and higher deficiency frequency (20.3% vs.8.2; p=0.049) than the healthy controls. Exclusively or predominantly breastfed infants with CMPA had higher frequency of inadequate vitamin D levels (p=0.002). Regardless of sun exposure time, the groups had similar frequencies of inadequate vitamin D levels (p=0.972). Lower vitamin D levels were found in infants with CMPA, especially those who were exclusively or predominantly breastfed, making these infants a possible risk group for vitamin D deficiency.