Anemia affects 20% of children and a new study suggests that there is a close relationship between vitamin D deficiency and this condition.
When a child has anemia it means that he has a decrease in hemoglobin in the blood. Hemoglobin is a protein, rich in iron, responsible for transporting oxygen in the blood. When there is not enough hemoglobin, it can cause health problems and, depending on the severity, complications develop that can affect breathing, for example, and, if it is very severe, can cause death.
Anemia manifests itself through fatigue, weakness, paleness, permanent cold sensation and drowsiness, among others. Anemia can be mild or severe, and treatment can range from simple dietary adjustments to blood transfusions if severe.
Main causes
- Iron deficiency in the blood.
- Blood loss.
- Deficiency of folic acid and vitamin B12.
- Consumption of cow’s milk instead of breast milk in the case of infants.
- Due to genetic conditions such as sickle cell anemia, thalassemia.
A new study regarding the causes of anemia can be vital in preventing it. According to specialists from the John Hopkins Children’s Center in the United States, children with vitamin D deficiencies are at greater risk of developing anemia.
This conclusion came after researchers analyzed the relationship between hemoglobin and vitamin D in blood tests of more than 10,400 children and adolescents between the ages of 1 and 21, over the course of 6 years.
They found that those children or teens who had low hemoglobin levels consistently had low vitamin D levels compared to children who had normal hemoglobin levels. Those children whose vitamin D levels were below 30 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml) doubled their risk of developing anemia compared to those with normal vitamin D levels.
Either way, while establishing whether or not there is a causal relationship between vitamin D deficiency and anemia, it is important that children are treated as soon as identified. Don’t forget that the combination of anemia and vitamin D deficiency can cause serious problems like vital organ damage, bone deformity, frequent fractures and early development of osteoporosis.