Relationship Between Serum Vitamin D Levels and Serous Otitis Media in Children with Adenoid Hypertrophy Based on Age

Serous Otitis Media (SOM) is one of the most common diseases of children that can lead to hearing loss and imbalance. Recently, the role of vitamin D has been identified in strengthening and regulating the immune system. Moreover, vitamin D supplementation has been recognized to improve the immune response against upper respiratory infection and pathogen overgrowth.

A cross-sectional study was performed on 89 children aged 1 - 15 years with adenoid hypertrophy who met the inclusion criteria. The serum vitamin D level was compared between the two groups of children with and without SOM.

The mean age of the target children was 69.57 ± 25.65 months. The mean serum vitamin D level was 23.86 ± 12.7 in all patients. The mean serum vitamin D level was 24.7 ± 13.1 and 22.9 ± 12.2 in patients with and without SOM (based on tympanometry), respectively, yet the difference was not statistically significant. However, the difference was significant between the two groups of children with the age of < 84 months and > 84 months (P = 0.05).

The role of vitamin D was identified in increasing the incidence of SOM in children older than 84 months with adenoid hypertrophy. In older children, the timely diagnosis and treatment of vitamin D deficiency can prevent severe SOM complications, which can save a lot of costs for families and the health system.