Effect of vitamin D supplementation in severity and control of bronchial asthma in children

Background: Asthma is characterized by chronic airway inflammation with history of recurrent respiratory symptoms such as wheeze, breathlessness, chest tightness, cough. Methodology: A prospective interventional study was conducted in Department of Paediatrics, S. N. Medical and Hospital, Agra. About 141 asthmatic children of age group ≤ 14years of either gender were selected. Baseline serum vitamin D level was done and children were divided in to two groups. Group A and Group B. Only moderate persistent severity children were included for further follow up study, based on Vitamin-D levels. Outcome was measured at 3 & 6 months, in all the groups in the form of Emergency-room visit per month, ACT score and Reliever-medication use per-week. Results: Among 141 patients, 49.7% were 9-14years old, 53.9% were males and 84.4% suffering from moderate-persistent asthma. Mean Vitamin-D was significantly-lower in asthma patients with increasing severity. After starting standard-therapy and Vitamin-D supplementation, there was decrease in emergency-room visit and hospital-admission, decrease in requirement of reliever-medication for asthma and improvement in asthma control score. There was significant increase in ACT-score from 3 to 6 months follow-ups in all groups with highest score in subgroup-B2 patients. Conclusion: Vitamin-D supplementation was beneficial in asthma patients for relieving asthma exacerbation such as symptoms, reducing hospital-admission and emergency hospital visits.