• Jessica A Omand, Teresa To, Deborah L O'Connor, Patricia C Parkin, Catherine S Birken, Kevin E Thorpe, and Jonathon L Maguire.
• Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
• Pediatr. Pulmonol. 2018 Aug 1; 53 (8): 1018-1026.

BackgroundAsthma is the most common chronic illness of childhood and a common reason for hospital admission. Studies suggest that low vitamin D levels may be associated with health service utilization (HSU) for childhood asthma. The primary objective was to determine if vitamin D serum levels in early childhood were associated with HSU for asthma including: a) hospital admissions; b) emergency department visits; and c) outpatient sick visits. Secondary objectives were to determine whether vitamin D supplementation in pregnancy or childhood were associated with HSU for asthma.MethodsProspective cohort study of children participating in the TARGet Kids! practice-based research network between 2008 and 2013 in Toronto, Canada. HSU was determined by linking each child's provincial health insurance number to health administrative databases. Multivariable quasi-Poisson and logistic regression were used to evaluate the association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations, vitamin D supplementation in pregnancy, and childhood and HSU for asthma.ResultsA total of 2926 healthy children aged 0-6 years had 25-hydroxyvitamin D data available and were included in the primary analysis. Mean (IQR) 25-hydroxyvitmain D level was 84 nmol/L (65-98 nmol/L), 218 and 1267 children had 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations <50 nmol/L and <75 nmol/L, respectively. In the adjusted models, there were no associations between 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations (continuously or dichotomized at 50 and 75 nmol/L), vitamin D supplementation in pregnancy or childhood and HSU for asthma.ConclusionsVitamin D blood values do not appear to be associated with HSU for asthma in this population of healthy urban children.© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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