HiPP for Health Care Professionals

HiPP Growing-up/Junior milk improves vitamin D levels, even during the winter months

Vitamin D supplementation is often discontinued after infancy. However, even toddlers are deficient in vitamin D. The study examines whether vitamin D enriched growing-up milk can better prevent the seasonal drop in vitamin D serum levels during the winter months in comparison with cow’s milk.

Nutrient supply in toddlers is often suboptimal

EFSA report² shows: Toddlers in Europe are at risk for inadequate supply of certain nutrients:
Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was 10 to 30 %, even in populations with a high percentage of supplement users. Endogenous synthesis is not sufficient to compensate for low dietary intakes.

Study design

Prospective, randomised, double-blind, controlled intervention trial with children aged 2 – 6 years
Total study term: 10 months – divided into winter and summer periods
Dairy products: HiPP Growing-up Milk (study formula) with 2.85 μg (114 IU) of vitamin D per 100 ml vs. low-fat cow’s milk containing 0.03 μg (1.2 IU) of vitamin D per 100 ml

Result: Intervention study shows better vitamin D supply with growing-up milk

Significantly higher serum concentration of 25(OH)D in the growing-up milk group (with average intake of 7.1 μg or 284 IU/day)
Safe use of growing-up milk even in summer (median of 25(OH)D serum values: 27.6 ng/ml – no image)

Conclusion

Growing-up milk with 2.9 μg/100 ml of vitamin D is a safe and simple nutritional measure which prevents against the decrease of 25(OH)D serum concentration during the winter.

References
1 Hower J et al. Vitamin D fortification of growing up milk prevents decrease of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations during winter: a clinical intervention study in Germany. Eur J Pediatr 2013; 172: 1597–1605.
2 EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies. EFSA Journal 2013; 11: 3408
3 Gunther AL et al. Protein intake during the period of complementary feeding and early childhood and the association with body mass index and percentage body fat at 7 y of age. Am J Clin Nutr 2007; 85: 1626- 33.