EC Paediatrics

Background: Cerebral palsy (CP) is a diagnostic term used to describe a group of permanent disorders of movement and posture causing activity limitation that are attributed to non-progressive disturbances in the developing foetal or infant brain. This study was done to assess the levels of vitamin D in children with CP and compare with normal healthy children. We also aimed to describe the risk factors for vitamin D deficiency among children with CP.

Methods: This prospective cross sectional observational study included 50 children with CP in the age group of 2 to 15 years subjecting them for assessment of 25 OH vitamin D levels by CLEA method.

Results: Of total of 50 children with CP, 40 children (80%) had vitamin D levels < 20 ng/ml (deficiency). 10 (20%) children with CP had vitamin D levels between 21-29ng/ml (insufficiency) and none of them had vitamin D levels ≥ 30 ng/ml (sufficiency). A significant co relation was found between monotherapy and polytherapy, presence of dental caries and in children with moderate to severe CP. The levels of vitamin D decreased as the duration of antiepileptic drug (AEDs) usage increased. Severe Vitamin D deficiency was also significantly more in CP children (p-0.042).

Conclusions: A majority (80%) of the children with CP were vitamin D deficient. The use of more than one antiepileptic drugs for seizure control, moderate to severe CP (based on GMFCS), presence of dental caries were found to be significant risk factors for low Vitamin D levels. Vitamin D deficiency was significantly higher in children with CP when compared to that of age matched healthy children.

Keywords: Vitamin D Deficiency; Cerebral Palsy; Epilepsy; Anti-Epileptic Drugs; Hypovitaminosis D; Dental Caries

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