Vitamin D and asthma occurrence in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis

• Published in: Journal of pediatric nursing Vol. 62; pp. e60 - e68
• Main Authors: Wang, Qiong, Ying, Qinlai, Zhu, Wen, Chen, Junguo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.01.2022
• Subjects: 25-OHD; Asthma; Asthma - diagnosis; Asthma - drug therapy; Asthma - epidemiology; Child; Children; Dietary Supplements; Humans; Vitamin D; Vitamin D Deficiency - diagnosis; Vitamin D Deficiency - drug therapy; Vitamin D Deficiency - epidemiology; Vitamin D supplement; 25-OHD; Children; Vitamin D supplement; Asthma
• ISSN: 0882-5963; 1532-8449
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pedn.2021.07.005

The association between serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) level and asthma occurrence in children was controversial. The Pubmed, Ovid Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library were systematically searched up to April 13th 2020. All the study measured the serum 25-OHD level in children, or classified the children based on the 25-OHD level into severe vitamin D deficiency, insufficient deficiency and comparing the prevalence of asthma in childhood were included in our study. A total of 35 studies were included in our meta-analysis. Among them, 24 studies were included for analyzing the association between 25-OHD level and asthma, and 12 studies evaluated the treatment effect of vitamin D. The children with asthma (5711 participants) had significant lower 25-OHD level than children without asthma (21,561 participants) (21.7 ng/ml versus 26.5 ng/ml, SMD = −1.36, 95% = −2.40--0.32, P = 0.010). Besides, the children with asthma treated with vitamin D supplement had a significantly lower recurrence rate than the placebo group (18.4% versus 35.9%, RR = 0.35, 95%CI = 0.35–0.79, P = 0.002). Children with asthma had a lower 25-OHD level than healthy children. Vitamin D supplement could decrease the asthma recurrence rate in the follow-up years. This study implies that lower 25-OHD may cause asthma in childhood. •Asthma children had a lower 25-OHD level than healthy children.•Vitamin D supplement could decrease the asthma recurrence rate in the follow-up years.