Vitamin D status of gastrostomy-fed children
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Vitamin D status of gastrostomy-fed children with special needs in Manchester.
IRAS ID
126562
Contact name
Zulf Mughal
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Research summary
This study is designed to look at the vitamin D status of special needs children who receive their nutrition via gastrostomy (permanent feeding tube inserted into the stomach). Children may be partially or fully fed by this method using a commercially prepared formula which is ’nutritionally complete’ and contains vitamin D among other nutrients.
In our clinical experience, we have seen children who receive full gastrostomy feeds and yet have been found to be deficient in vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency has been widely reported in all age groups and particularly in children and adolescents.
Vitamin D is mainly derived from exposure to the sun via synthesis in the skin, and only a small amount is obtained from the diet. In Manchester between October and March, the sun is not strong enough to produce any vitamin D.
We suspect that despite being fed with a nutritionally complete formula feed, children with special needs are at greater risk of vitamin D deficiency because of: lack of mobility and exposure to sunshine, treatment with anticonvulsant drugs which interfere with vitamin D synthesis, poor feed tolerance and other factors.
Vitamin D is crucial for bone and muscle health and it has now been implicated in several disease states such as type 1 diabetes, tuberculosis, hypertension, certain cancers, infections, autism spectrum disorders and a host of other conditions.
In Manchester special schools we have approximately 100 children who are gastrostomy fed. We plan to check their vitamin D status by taking a small sample of blood (5ml), conduct a brief clinical examination, and determine their risk factors via a lifestyle questionnaire.
Any child found to be vitamin D deficient will be treated under the supervision of the Chief Investigator. The results may influence clinical practice in this particular group of children.REC name
North West - Liverpool Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/NW/0819
Date of REC Opinion
6 Dec 2013
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion