ASSESSMENT OF VITAMIN D AND CALCIUM LEVEL IN CHILDREN WITH GROWING PAIN

*Mujammel Haque, Kamrul Laila, Mohammad Imnul Islam and Shahana Akhter Rahman

ABSTRACT

Background: Growing pain (GP), termed as benign nocturnal pains of childhood is the most common cause of recurrent musculoskeletal pain in children. GP has association with vitamin D (25OH-vit D) deficiency. Objectives: Estimation of vitamin D & calcium levels in children with GP to determine the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and GP. Methods: In this cross-sectional study fifty one children aged 4-12 years fulfilling the criteria of growing pain were enrolled. Age and sex matched 25 children were selected as control group who came with acute illness other than bone disease. Serum concentration of calcium (Ca) and vitamin D was measured. Comparison of serum concentration of vitamin D & calcium between children with GP and control group was done with student t test and chi-square test. Results: Mean age of the study population was 7.86± 2.71 years with the majority being males (60.78%). Vitamin D deficiency was found in 92.15 % of GP children and 48% of the control group children. Mean vitamin D level was 17.53±5.48 ng/ml in vitamin D deficient group among GP children. Vitamin D deficiency was significantly higher among GP children. Most of the vitamin D deficient children had normal serum calcium level (93.61%), only 3 patient (6.38 %) had calcium deficiency with a mean calcium level 9.47±0.78 mg/dl. Conclusion: Majority of children with Growing pain had vitamin D deficiency. Growing pain could be a manifestation of low vitamin D, so all children with growing pain or unexplained limb pain should be tested for serum vitamin D level.

Keywords: Growing pain, Vitamin D, Limb pain.