"Vitamin D Insufficiency in the Cleft Population of the Sub-Himalayan Region"

Introduction Children with clefts have been shown to have various nutrient deficiencies including protein energy malnutrition but the levels of vitamin D as compared to normal population have seldom been researched.Materials and Methods Serum levels of Vitamin D in children with clefts (12 years and less), belonging to the Sub-Himalayan and Gangetic Plain regions were compared with age matched normal population using non-parametric tests. Bivariate Logistic regression for estimation of odds ratio for cleft versus control were performed for risk estimation of vitamin D insufficiency (less than 30 ng/mL).Results Serum Vitamin D levels of cleft group was significantly lower than control group significantly (P = 0.02) and the age adjusted odds ratio was 2.819 compared to controls.Conclusion The study reveals Vitamin Deficiency in the general population of the sub-Himalayan region, albeit, the levels in the population of clefts are significantly less as compared to the control population. Hence it is imperative to consider prospective trials and if proven then to recommend alterations in the existing vitamin D supplementation for children in this age group belonging to this belt in general. The normalization of vitamin D levels in children with cleft can help in wound healing after surgeries in addition to their normal growth and development.