Vitamin D deficiency and acute respiratory infections among brazilian children

Abstract

The prescription of antibiotics worldwide remains large, especially in children. The lack of accurate diagnoses leads to overuse of these drugs, increasing bacterial resistance. A large number of studies have shown that another important factor in the onset of upper respiratory infections (URI) is inadequate intake of nutrients for these children, especially vitamins A, C and D. This study aimed to understand the use of antibiotics and the profile of nutrient intake in children diagnosed with URI. During 12 months, a survey (24 h dietary recall) was applied in 131 parents of children using antibiotics. The results showed antibiotic prescriptions for viral infections (37 %), pointing out incorrect prescriptions. The presence of URI was directly related to the lack of intake of vitamins, especially A and D. Countries with poor sources of these vitamins (fish oil), in regular diet, should increase the dietary supplementation of vitamins to diminish the appearance of URIs.