Optimizing Vitamin D Status in Children with Wheeze / Asthma (OPTIVIT)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Optimizing vitamin D status in children with preschool wheeze or asthma - a pilot study (OPTIVIT)
IRAS ID
205449
Contact name
Adrian Martineau
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Queen Mary University
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 30 days
Research summary
Having too little vitamin D is very common in the UK. Research shows that vitamin D can boost the immune system and may help protect against chest infections that can cause wheezing illness or worsen asthma symptoms. The Department of Health recommends a dose of 10 micrograms of vitamin D/day to prevent severe vitamin D deficiency in children. However, many studies have reported that this dose is not enough to raise vitamin D status to the levels most likely to prevent against worsening of asthma symptoms. Such studies suggest that 25 micrograms of vitamin D/day may be needed. This dose is safe but its effects on vitamin D blood levels have not yet been specifically tested in children with asthma/wheeze. This study is designed to determine the optimal oral daily vitamin D supplementation dose to treat vitamin D deficiency in children with asthma and preschool wheeze.
In this study we will recruit a total of 40 children with low baseline vitamin D levels (<75 nmol/L): 20 children will be aged 1-4 years, and will have had at least two unplanned visits to the doctor due to wheezing illness, and 20 children aged 5-12 years with doctor-diagnosed asthma will have had at least one unplanned visit to the doctor due to worsening of asthma symptoms. No children who have already enrolled in another research study will take part in this research study.
Over the 6-month course of the study, participants will meet with the study team four times in clinic or in their own home and will be contacted by telephone five times. Children will be asked to a drop of blood via a fingerprick to test their vitamin D level and a sample of nasal fluid for measurement of inflammatory markers on three separate occasions.
REC name
London - Brent Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/LO/1218
Date of REC Opinion
20 Jun 2016
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion