RCPH Launches Campaign Tackling Vitamin D Deficiency

The RCPCH has today launched its position statement and campaign on tackling vitamin D deficiency.

Widely available and low-cost vitamin D supplements, fortification of foods, greater knowledge amongst healthcare professionals and better public awareness are amongst the steps needed to tackle the growing incidence of vitamin D deficiency amongst the UK population, according to the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH).

Children's doctors are warning that vitamin D deficiency – thought to affect at least half the UK's white population, up to 90% of the multi-ethnic population and a quarter of children – is resulting in higher incidences of diabetes, tuberculosis, multiple sclerosis and rickets; a bone disease uncommon in the UK since the 19th century. Recent figures suggest a four-fold increase in incidents of rickets over the last 15 years. Vitamin D deficiency is a particular problem amongst children and young people and pregnant women.

Professor Mitch Blair, Officer for Health Promotion at the RCPCH, said: "We know vitamin D deficiency is a growing problem – and localised research reveals startling high levels of vitamin deficiency amongst certain groups including children.

"People can only get a fraction (10%) of their recommended daily amount of vitamin D through food and very little from sunlight. So getting out in the sun more or eating more oily fish isn't going to solve the problem. Lack of vitamin D is related to a plethora of serious illnesses in children and adults that could be prevented through relatively simple steps such as taking supplements."

The RCPCH is today launching a campaign that calls for:

•Vitamin D supplements to be readily available at low-cost and high quality

•Investigation into the pros and cons of further fortification of food with vitamin D

•Professional guidance for healthcare professionals: including standardised guidance on how to diagnose and treat diseases linked to vitamin D deficiency

•A public awareness campaign: clear information for parents and families on the warning signs of vitamin D deficiency and how to prevent it

•Further research into the link between vitamin D deficiency and bone disease: there is currently a dearth of research in this area making high profile child protection cases difficult to resolve

•Better surveillance: to monitor the prevalence and incidence of vitamin D deficiency across the population

(CD)