{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,8]],"date-time":"2026-05-08T19:03:32Z","timestamp":1778267012782,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,11,11]],"date-time":"2022-11-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1668124800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"African Development Bank(ADB) scholarships through Busitema University"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n<jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Vitamin D deficiency affects 7\u201386% of infants globally and results in recurrent infections, impaired growth and nutritional rickets. Low-birth-weight infants in Uganda are at risk of vitamin D deficiency due to limited sunlight exposure and dependence on breastmilk. We aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with vitamin D deficiency among low-birth-weight infants aged 6 weeks to 6 months at Mulago national referral hospital in Uganda.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n<jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>We conducted a cross-sectional study at Mulago Hospital between September 2016 and March 2017. We enrolled infants born with low birth weight between six weeks and six months whose mothers were available and willing to provide informed consent. Upon obtaining informed consent, we administered a structured questionnaire and performed a physical examination on the participants. Blood was drawn for calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D estimation. We measured serum 25 hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D) using the electrochemiluminescence method. Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency were defined as (25(OH)D) &lt; 20ng\/ml and from 20ng\/ml to &lt;30 ng\/ml respectively. To determine factors associated with vitamin D deficiency, we fit multivariable logistic regression models with exposure factors determined a priori. Data were analysed using Stata version 14.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n<jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>We enrolled 297 participants, 49.2% (167\/297) of whom were males. The median infant age was nine weeks (interquartile range 7\u201313). All infants had less than one hour of sunlight exposure and over 90.6% (269\/297) had received multivitamin supplements containing vitamin D. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was 12.1% (36\/297): 95% CI (8.9%-16.4%). The prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency was 19.9% (59\/297): 95% CI (15.7%-24.8%). Boys had higher odds of vitamin D deficiency compared to girls [adjusted odds ratio 2.8: 95% CI 1.3\u20136.1].<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n<jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Vitamin D deficiency was 12.1% among low-birth-weight infants in Uganda although almost all of them had received multivitamin supplements containing vitamin D. We recommend that more studies are done in low-birth-weight infants to assess the risk factors for vitamin D in these population in Uganda.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0276182","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,11,11]],"date-time":"2022-11-11T18:25:14Z","timestamp":1668191114000},"page":"e0276182","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["Vitamin D deficiency in low-birth-weight infants in Uganda; a cross sectional study"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"17","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7013-7297","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Martin","family":"Chebet","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Thereza","family":"Piloya","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Faith","family":"Ameda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"David","family":"Mukunya","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sarah","family":"Kiguli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,11,11]]},"reference":[{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0276182.ref001","first-page":"259","article-title":"Vitamin D deficiency in western dwelling South Asian populations: an unrecognised epidemic","volume":"79","author":"A. 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Bouillon","year":"2020","journal-title":"The Lancet Global Health"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0276182.ref012","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"676","DOI":"10.1097\/MPG.0000000000001831","article-title":"Serum 25 Hydroxy Vitamin D Levels in Very Low Birth Weight Infants Receiving Oral Vitamin D Supplementation","volume":"66","author":"UK Munshi","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0276182.ref013","first-page":"203","article-title":"Vitamin D Levels in Malnourished Children under 5 Years in a Tertiary Care Center at Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania-A Cross-sectional Study","volume":"63","author":"NZ Walli","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Trop Pediatr."},{"issue":"11","key":"pone.0276182.ref014","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.3390\/nu9111258","article-title":"Micronutrient Deficiencies among Breastfeeding Infants in Tanzania","volume":"9","author":"AL 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