Vitamin D for improving bone density in children

Vitamin D for improving bone density in children

This summary of a Cochrane Review, presents what we know from research about the effect of vitamin D supplements on bone density in children.    

The review shows that in healthy children generally, vitamin D supplementation does not improve bone density at the hip, lumbar spine, forearm or in the body as a whole. 

Some of the evidence suggests that vitamin D supplements may improve bone density in children who have low levels of vitamin D but this is uncertain. 

We do not have precise information about side effects and complications but the available information suggests that vitamin D supplements are well tolerated. 

What is osteoporosis and what is vitamin D?

Osteoporosis is a condition where bones are weak, brittle and break easily. The risk of osteoporosis and fractures (breaks) in later life depends on how much bone is built when a child and how much bone is lost when an adult. One way to prevent osteoporosis and fractures in later life is to build stronger bones when young. Vitamin D plays an important role in improving the body’s absorption of calcium from food, reducing losses of calcium from the body and getting calcium deposited into to bone to improve the quantity of bone developed. Therefore it is thought that if vitamin D levels in the body are low in childhood, less bone will be developed and that improving vitamin D levels by supplements would result in more bone being developed. Bone density is a major measure of bone strength and the amount of bone mineral present at different sites and so is used to measure the effects of interventions, like vitamin D supplementation, to improve bone health.

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