Poor vitamin D supplementation in infants. Cross-sectional study of maternal practices and awareness of vitamin D supplementation in infants in Al-Ahsa, Eastern Saudi Arabia

OBJECTIVE: To describe the maternal practices and awareness of vitamin D supplementation in infants, and factors affecting these practices in Eastern Saudi Arabia.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 606 mothers attending community-based primary health centers in Al-Ahsa, Eastern Saudi Arabia between March and April 2012. A 22-item questionnaire was used to assess the socio-demographic data of both infants and mothers, feeding methods, nursing practices including vitamin D supplementation, and mothers' awareness regarding vitamin D supplementation in infants by face-to-face interview. Chi-squared test was used to assess significant differences among these practices. Significant variables were subjected to multiple logistic regression. A p-value of 0.05 was used to indicate statistical significance.

RESULTS: The response was 91%. Forty percent of mothers were not giving their infants vitamin D at the time of contact. More than 40% of the mothers were not aware of, and they were not offered advice on the need to give vitamin D to their infants. Lack of physician advice (odds ratio 42), and poor maternal awareness of the necessity to give vitamin D to their infants (odds ratio - 2.676) are the most significant factors related to the absence of vitamin D supplementation in infants (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION: Vitamin D supplementation during the first year of infancy is low. This is most likely due to the lack of maternal awareness and physician neglect in providing advice to mothers regarding vitamin D supplementation in infants.