Objective: To study the correlation between serum vitamin D level and severity of community acquired pneumonia (CAP) in young children, and explore related risk factors for CAP.
Methods: One hundred and three children with CAP between October 2011 and April 2012 were enrolled in the study, including 15 cases of severe CAP and 88 cases of mild CAP. Ninety healthy children were used as the control group. 25-(OH)D(3) concentrations were measured by enzyme linked immunoassay.
Results: The mean vitamin D concentration in the severe CAP group was significantly lower than in the mild CAP and control groups (P < 0.01), and there was no significant difference between the mild CAP and control groups (P = 0.674). Premature birth and vitamin D < 50 nmol/L were risk factors for severe CAP in the multivariate analysis.
Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency might be associated with the severity of CAP in young children.