NFS 4950

Senior Seminar in Nutrition

Research Paper Proposal

Date: October 5, 2016

To: Laura Freeland Kull, MS, RDN
From: Bridget Coffie
Subject of my paper: Vitamin D in Children
My Major and why writing about this topic will be beneficial to me:
The researchers field of study is a Nutrition and Foodservice Management. The
researcher sees it as a great privilege to deal with this topic Vitamin D in Children as it has
become an important topic for discussion globally. Many people have the perception that vitamin
D is naturally abundant in sunlight and food, yet some children do not have adequate vitamin D
and this poses a lot of health related problems. This paper will explore and reveal the best ways
of obtaining adequate vitamin D for children. The paper will also discuss the consequences of
vitamin D insufficiency in children. Comparatively, the paper will investigate to inform about the
best ways of preventing vitamin D deficiency in children.
This topic will challenge the researcher to delve into and discover why vitamin D in
children has become a global concern. It will give the researcher an opportunity to share the facts
that she has gathered from her findings about vitamin D in children. The researcher has a strong
conviction that she will be able to present enough concrete details to produce a valuable paper.
The researcher has discovered from numerous academic articles that vitamin D is both a nutrient
obtained from the food we eat and a hormone manufactured by the body. Vitamin D is produced
in the body in two forms, vitamin D2 called ergocalciferol and vitamin D3 also known as

cholecalciferol. The body manufactures vitamin D from cholesterol via a process stimulated by
the action of sunlight on the skin, yet some children do not have enough vitamin D.
My thesis:
Global vitamin D deficiency in children is preventable.
Approach to the subject of my paper:
In this paper, the researcher will give a vivid presentation to depict vitamin D as a
nutrient, and as a hormone which is present in food and sunshine. The paper will discuss the
benefits of vitamin D and the best ways of obtaining it. It will also provide a description of
vitamin D deficiency in children, its causes, and the children who are at higher risk of vitamin
insufficiency. The paper will reveal that vitamin D deficiency in children is preventable.
Intended audience:
The target readers of this paper are the researchers peer students in the Nutrition Major.
Graphs or charts:
A picture will be used to illustrate a vivid information about a child suffering from
rickets.

Tentative List of References and why they will help my paper:

Belal Said N. Vitamin D Deficiency in Critically Ill Children. IJCS [serial online].
2014;7(2):381-389.
This article is intended to inform its readers about the relationship between vitamin D deficiency
and health related problems in children. The article depicts the importance of vitamin D
in the body and the need to know its requirements, and how to keep it within normal
range. The author advises health professionals and parents to be familiar with vitamin D
and its health implications and recommends preventive measures.
Grasso D, Rafferty MA. Vitamin D: Implications of the Institute of Medicine Report for Clinical
Practice. Am J Nurse Pract. 2012;16(1/2):35-40.
The primary goal of this article is to address the consequences surrounding vitamin D deficiency
and suggests precaution measures for primary care nurse practitioners. The authors
investigate if low levels of vitamin D are associated with health related problems. They
point out that vitamin D plays an essential role in calcium and phosphorous absorption.

Kazemi A, Sharifi F, Jafari N, Mousavinasab N. High prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among

pregnant women and their newborns in an Iranian population. J Womens Health
(15409996) [serial online]. 2009;18(6):835-839. doi:10.1089/jwh.2008.0954.
The authors of this article ascertain that vitamin D plays a vital role during pregnancy and this
can affect both the mother and the baby. The study was conducted to examine the
identification of vitamin D inadequacy in pregnancy and the problems associated with
maternal blood and neonate blood. The authors investigate the causes of hypovitaminosis
D and the measures for treating it.

Lockyer V, Porcellato L, Gee I. Vitamin D deficiency and supplementation: are we failing to

prevent the preventable?. Community Pract [serial online]. 2011;84(3):23-26.
The authors affirm that rickets is a general health problem in the United Kingdom because health
professionals do not pay attention to recommendations for vitamin D supplementation
and preventive measures. The vision of the study is to determine the level of
understanding of community midwifery about vitamin D deficiency and supplementation.
The author advises health professionals to realize the prevalence of vitamin deficiency
among children and to follow recommendations for supplementations. Health
professionals need to educate families of the problem and effective preventive measures
to eradicate rickets in children.
Mitchell D. The Relationship Between Vitamin D and Cancer. Clin J Oncol Nurs [serial online].
2011;15(5):557-560.
The author describes how people obtain vitamin D. She explains that inadequate levels of
vitamin D endanger childrens lives and specifically affects their bones. The author points
out that geographical location influences inadequate vitamin D in children. Although
sunshine is the primary source of vitamin D, too much exposure poses high risk of skin
cancer.
O'Malley T, Heuberger R. Vitamin D status and supplementation in pediatric gastrointestinal
disease. J Spec Pediatr Nurs [serial online]. 2011;16(2):140-150. doi:10.1111/j.17446155.2011.00280.x
The authors of this article affirm that children with vitamin D deficiency easily develop
gastrointestinal diseases due to malabsorption. Vitamin D deficiency is caused by so

many factors, such as dysfunction of certain organs that decreases vitamin D absorption.
They suggest that vitamin D levels in children should be monitored and to administer
suitable treatment to achieve vitamin D adequacy in children.
Patience S. Promoting vitamin D uptake in infants and children. Br. J Midwifery [serial online].
2015;23:10-13.
The author of this article states that parents and health professionals are in a better position to
monitor vitamin D intake in children and infant,s and to identify those who are at risk of
vitamin deficiency in children. The author suggests that parents and health professionals
use supplementation to meet vitamin D requirements due to its essential roles in the body.
Also, the author describes how children are easily prone to vitamin D deficiency and
suggests steps for prevention.
Patience S. Vitamin D deficiency in at-risk groups. Community Pract. 2013;86(3):38-40.
The article addresses the important role of vitamin D in the immune system. The author asserts
that vitamin D deficiency has a relationship between a mothers level of vitamin D and
that of her breastfeeding baby. The goal of the study is to help health professionals to
monitor mothers and their babies who are at a high risk of vitamin D deficiency.
Prentice A. Standing on the shoulders of giants: Understanding calcium and vitamin D
requirements. Nutr Bull [serial online]. 2013;38(3):323-331. dOI: 10.1111/nbu.12043.
The author of this article tries to update the knowledge of the general public about calcium and
vitamin D. The author explains that calcium and vitamin D work collaboratively in the
body. The author explains that nutrition and bone health of mothers affects their babies

and that rickets in children is associated with low calcium and low vitamin D. The article
indicates that children suffering from rickets can be cured with enough sunlight exposure.

Sahota JK, Shaw N. Preventing vitamin D deficiency in children in the UK. Nurse Prescribing
[serial online]. 2014;12(12):596-602.
This study informs its readers that vitamin D is very vital for healthy bones and promotes quality
health and growth. The study describes how vitamin D deficiency causes growth
retardation and other health related problems in children in the United Kingdom. All
health professionals should work together to fight against vitamin D deficiency in
children.