The role of vitamin D in pediatric atopic dermatitis Original paper

Although some research suggests that low vitamin D status may be associated with the risk of atopic dermatitis (AD), it’s unclear whether vitamin D deficiency is associated with the incidence and severity of AD in children and whether vitamin D supplementation can improve AD severity.

This meta-analysis of 22 studies (16 observational and 6 randomized controlled trials) i) compared serum vitamin D levels between children with AD and healthy children without AD (control); (ii) compared the incidence of vitamin D deficiency between children with AD and healthy children without AD (control); (iii) compared the serum vitamin D levels between children with mild AD and children with severe AD; (iv) compared the severity of AD in children with AD before and after supplementation with vitamin D; and (v) compared the severity of AD between children who took vitamin D compared to children who took a placebo.

The researchers found the following:

• Serum vitamin D levels were lower in children with AD than in children without AD.
• The odds of vitamin D deficiency was twice as high in children with AD compared to children without AD.
• Serum vitamin D levels were lower in children with severe AD than in children with mild AD.
• The severity of AD in children was lower after supplementation with vitamin D.
• The severity of AD improved more in children taking vitamin D than in children taking a placebo.