Vitamin D Supplementation for the Prevention of Respiratory Infections in Childhood: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Study designs: Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis
Abstract: ABSTRACT Background Vitamin D modulates innate and adaptive immunity and has been investigated for preventing pediatric respiratory infections. Objective To assess the effects of vitamin D supplementation on respiratory tract infections (RTIs), including upper RTIs, lower RTIs/recurrent pneumonia, and hospitalization/clinical severity in children and adolescents. Methods Systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis of 16 publications, of which 13 contributed to quantitative synthesis. Twenty-four effect estimates were pooled, eight per outcome. The odds ratio (OR) was analyzed on its natural logarithmic scale (logOR), using restricted maximum likelihood (REML) estimation and Knapp-Hartung (KH) adjusted inference. Where necessary, risk ratios (RRs), hazard ratios (HRs), and incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were approximated on the logOR scale. Results For respiratory infection/upper RTI, pooled logOR was −0.284 (KH-adjusted 95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.678 to 0.110; OR 0.753; p = 0.132; I 2 = 97.2%). For lower RTI/recurrent pneumonia, logOR was −0.445 (95% CI: −0.987 to 0.097; OR 0.641; p = 0.093; I 2 = 89.5%). For hospitalization/clinical severity, logOR was −0.609 (95% CI: −1.134 to −0.083; OR 0.544; p = 0.029; I 2 = 78.3%). Conclusions Pooled estimates favored supplementation in direction for all three groups, although confidence intervals included the null for the first two. Heterogeneity was substantial, and the results are limited by approximations among effect measures, clinically diverse endpoints, and potentially correlated effects from individual studies.
Source: medRxiv
Authors: Hércules Kanaan Pereira Sousa, Thiago de Sousa Siqueira, Maria Adriely Machado de Castro Oliveira, Eduarda Rodrigues Belfort de Carvalho, Ana Júlia Hortegal Cavalcante, Juliana Borges Tavares da Silva, Paloma Layonara Vieira Viana, Gabriel Segrini Fidencio, Victoria Cristina Souto Costa, Lana Maria Lima Bandeira Arnaud, Alexandre Patrício Vasconcelos Matos, José Mauricio Raulino Barbosa
Institution: Centro Universitário UNINOVAFAPI
Language: English
Topic: Vitamin D Research Studies
Subfield: Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7221652824