Vitamin D status of gastrostomy-fed children with special needs: a cross-sectional pilot study.

Aim: To assess the vitamin D status of gastrostomy-fed children.

Methods: Vitamin D status was measured in 32 children aged five to 16 years recruited from special schools in Manchester, UK (53° 48 N). All children were receiving a nutritionally complete, commercially prepared enteral feed via gastrostomy, and had been established on this regimen for over 12 months. Serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) were measured at the end of winter. Children with serum concentrations of 25OHD >50 nmol/L were considered to be sufficient, and those with concentrations <25 nmol/L were considered to be deficient.

Results: Approximately 83% of subjects had sufficient concentrations of serum 25OHD (>50 nmol/L). One subject was vitamin D deficient (serum 25OHD <25 nmol/L), and four were vitamin D insufficient (serum 25OHD >25 nmol/L - <50 nmol/L). The median vitamin D derived from enteral feeds was 9.45 μg/day; range 3.5-30; 13 children (41%) received less than 10 μg of vitamin D per day from their enteral feed.

Conclusion: Nutritionally complete gastrostomy feeds may be protective against vitamin D deficiency in the majority of children with special needs. We recommend that all children over 1 year of age receive 10 μg (400 IU) of vitamin D, as recommended by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN).