Vitamin D Supplements May Help To Alleviate Winter-Related Atopic Dermatitis in Children

Some children suffer from winter-related atopic dermatitis--a chronic inflammatory disorder of the skin that makes victims uncomfortable and more prone to a vulnerable bacterial infection.

Now, recent findings published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology show that vitamin D could significantly improve symptoms of the seasonal health issue.

"While we don't know the exact proportion of patients with atopic dermatitis whose symptoms worsen in the winter, the problem is common," said Carlos Camargo, MD, DrPH, MGH Department of Emergency Medicine, in a news release. "In this large group of patients, who probably had low levels of vitamin D, taking daily vitamin D supplements - which are inexpensive, safe and widely available - proved to be quite helpful."

For the study, researchers examined 100 Mongolian schoolchildren, ages 2 to 17 in nine outpatient clinics in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar who were given a daily treatment with a vitamin D supplement. They discovered that their symptoms were significantly improved with a vitamin D supplement.

The participants - all of whom had a history of atopic dermatitis symptoms worsening either during cold weather or around the transition from autumn to winter - were randomly divided into two groups. One group received a daily vitamin D dose of 1000 IU while the other received a placebo - both delivered in odorless, colorless and tasteless drops. Neither the children's parents nor the study investigators knew to which group participants had been assigned.

Findings revealed that children who received the vitamin D supplement had an average 29 percent improvement on the primary assessment tool used, compared to a 16 percent improvement in the placebo group. Additional assessments also showed significantly greater improvements among children who received vitamin D.

Researchers concluded that while future studies are needed to assess the value of vitamin D treatments in adults and in children with year-round symptoms, parents of children with symptoms that worsen in the winter should try vitamin D supplements initially to alleviate the health issue.