Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Kids vitamin D supplements May Help Kids Suffering from Eczema

Kids vitamin D supplements given on a daily basis may help children with eczema that flares up in the winter suggests a new study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 

Researchers who conducted the study found that vitamin D significantly reduced the symptoms associated with the chronic skin disorder that is characterized by itchy, inflamed patches of skin. A common treatment for winter-related atopic dermatitis is ultraviolet light which stimulates vitamin D production. In the study, they look at the possibility that the condition gets worse in the winter when there is less sunlight. Because sunlight exposure enables the body to produce vitamin D, there is a greater chance of developing eczema during the darker months of winter.

The study was conducted with the help of the Health Sciences University of Mongolia and involved 107 Mongolian children between the ages of 2 and 17 – all with atopic dermatitis that flared up in the winter months. One group of the participants was given a daily dose of vitamin D and the others received a placebo.

Of those who received the vitamin D supplement, there was a 29 percent improvement in symptoms. These findings will give new hope in treating this chronic condition. With kids vitamin D supplements, there may be a safe, affordable, and convenient treatment for kids suffering from eczema.

More studies will be conducted to determine if vitamin D supplements for kids could also be beneficial for those who suffer from year-round atopic dermatitis. In the meantime, it’s worthwhile to discuss the benefits of vitamin D with your child’s doctor to determine if kids vitamin D supplements are beneficial.

For more information about vitamin D, go to the U.S. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements website.

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