The Impact of Vitamin D Status on the Clinical Outcome of Acute Rotavirus Gastroenteritis in Preschool Children

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the impact of vitamin D on the clinical outcome of acute rotavirus gastroenteritis in children under 5 years. Materials and Methods: This prospective study included 70 patients in a pediatric emergency department with rotavirus gastroenteritis.Patients were divided into two groups based on serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 (25(OH)D3) level: low vitamin D (<30 ng/mL) and normal vitamin D (30 ng/mL).Disease severity and clinical outcomes were compared.Results: Out of 70 patients, 55 (78.6%) were in the low vitamin D group.The patients with normal serum 25(OH)D3 levels were younger than those with low serum 25(OH)D3 levels (p=0.01;p<0.05).The Vesikari scores, the severity of dehydration, the need for intravenous fluid, and the duration of diarrhea were similar between the groups.The low vitamin D group had higher hospitalization rates and longer hospital stays than the normal vitamin D group (p=0.015;p<0.05, and p=0.035; p<0.05, respectively).Low vitamin D was identified as a predictive risk factor increasing the risk of hospitalization (p=0.016;p<0.05) and prolonged hospital stay (p=0.003;p<0.01).Exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months was a protective predictor for reducing diarrhea duration and length of hospital stay (p = 0.024; p<0.05 and p=0.035; p<0.05, respectively). Conclusion:This study suggests low vitamin D status is a preventable risk factor for more severe disease courses in preschool children with rotavirus gastroenteritis.