Does Vitamin D Prevent Respiratory Complications in Children with Sickle Cell Disease?

Vitamin D's immunomodulatory effects may decrease the risk for respiratory illness and infections. To examine this potential benefit in children with sickle cell disease, researchers randomized 62 patients to receive a monthly, oral high dose (100,000 IU) or standard dose (12,000 IU) of vitamin D for 2 years in a double-blind trial. Participants' age range was 3 to 20 years.

Overall, receipt of monthly oral vitamin D was associated with a reduction of over 50% in the rate of respiratory illnesses during the second year, with similar decreases in each treatment group. Annual rates of respiratory events were also similar between groups. At baseline, the mean 25-hydroxyvitamin D level was in the deficient range at 14.3 ng/mL for the total sampl…