STUDY OF VITAMIN-D LEVELS IN EXCLUSIVELY BREASTFED BABIES IN A HOSPITAL OF SOUTH INDIA.

Pendurthi Venkata Krishna; Abhishek Mahankali V

Volume : V, Issue : VII, July - 2016

STUDY OF VITAMIN-D LEVELS IN EXCLUSIVELY BREASTFED BABIES IN A HOSPITAL OF SOUTH INDIA.

Pendurthi Venkata Krishna, Abhishek Mahankali V

Abstract :

Exclusive eastfeeding is recommended up to 6 months of age with all its beneficial effects on child survival. Globally as many as 1.45 million lives are lost due to suboptimal eastfeeding in developing countries. WHO analysis of childhood deaths has listed suboptimal eastfeeding as one of the most important shared risk factors and estimated that 1.3 million deaths can be prevented in 42 high mortality countries by increasing the level of eastfeeding amongst infants. The increase in the practice of eastfeeding associated with the belief that �east is best� and that east milk does not require supplementation because it is a babys �perfect food� may lead to decreased 25-hydroxy vitamin D(25-OHD) intake from other sources and thereby causing rickets. The prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in exclusively eastfed infants was found to be 82%, 52% and 20% from UAE, Pakistan and China respectively but there is a paucity of data from India regarding the same.