Volume 56, Issue 4 pp. 515-519
Original Article

Vitamin D status in children with attention-deficit–hyperactivity disorder

Sevil Bilir Goksugur

Corresponding Author

Sevil Bilir Goksugur

Department of Pediatrics, Medical Faculty, Abant Izzet Baysal University, Bolu, Turkey

Correspondence: Sevil Bilir Goksugur, MD, Department of Pediatrics, Medical Faculty, Abant Izzet Baysal University, 14280 Golkoy – Bolu, Turkey. Email: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author
Ali Evren Tufan

Ali Evren Tufan

Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, Abant Izzet Baysal University, Bolu, Turkey

Search for more papers by this author
Murat Semiz

Murat Semiz

Department of Psychiatry, Sivas State Hospital, Sivas, Turkey

Search for more papers by this author
Cemalettin Gunes

Cemalettin Gunes

Department of Pediatrics, Medical Faculty, Duzce University, Duzce, Turkey

Search for more papers by this author
Mervan Bekdas

Mervan Bekdas

Department of Pediatrics, Medical Faculty, Abant Izzet Baysal University, Bolu, Turkey

Search for more papers by this author
Mehmet Tosun

Mehmet Tosun

Department of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Abant Izzet Baysal University, Bolu, Turkey

Search for more papers by this author
Fatih Demircioglu

Fatih Demircioglu

Department of Pediatrics, Medical Faculty, Abant Izzet Baysal University, Bolu, Turkey

Search for more papers by this author
First published: 13 January 2014
Citations: 70

Abstract

Background

Attention-deficit–hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), one of the most common psychiatric disorders of childhood, has an early onset, affecting 2–18% of children worldwide. The etiopathogenesis of ADHD is obscure. In recent studies, a low level of vitamin D has been found in association with many disorders as well as in neuropsychiatric diseases. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate serum vitamin D level in pediatric ADHD patients.

Methods

A total of 60 ADHD patients and 30 healthy controls were included in the study. The age of both groups was in the 7–18-year-old range. Serum 25-OH-vitamin D, calcium, phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase were investigated.

Results

Serum 25-OH-vitamin D was found to be significantly lower in children and adolescents with ADHD compared to healthy controls, and no significant differences were found between the groups in terms of other variables. 25-OH-vitamin D level in the ADHD group and control group was, respectively, 20.9 ± 19.4 ng/mL and 34.9 ± 15.4 ng/mL (P = 0.001).

Conclusion

There is an association between lower 25-OH-vitamin D concentration and ADHD in childhood and adolescence. To the authors' knowledge this is the first study to investigate the relationship between vitamin D and ADHD in children.

The full text of this article hosted at iucr.org is unavailable due to technical difficulties.