Greater access to vitamin D supplements would 'cut the cases of rickets'

According to the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), vitamin D deficiency is thought to affect a quarter of children, resulting in higher incidences of diabetes, tuberculosis, multiple sclerosis and rickets.

While the Government’s Healthy Start programme provides vitamins free to low-income families and at risk groups, Professor Mitch Blair, officer for health promotion at the RCPCH, has claimed that the vitamins are in short supply and uptake is low.

In light of this, the RCPCH has today (Friday) launched a campaign calling for high quality vitamin D supplements to be readily available at a low cost, something which is already happening in some countries says Prof Blair.

It follows a recommendation by the chief medical officer for England, Dame Sally Davies, in January that all women who are pregnant or breastfeeding and children aged six months to five-years-old take vitamin D supplements.

The RCPCH’s campaign also recommends an investigation into the pros and cons of further fortification of food with vitamin D, and increasing public awareness by providing clear information for parents and families on the warning signs of vitamin D deficiency and how to prevent it.