London - A coroner has called for all pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers to take vitamin D after the death of a three-month-old boy.
Andrew Walker said action should be taken to reduce the risk to others after an inquest was told that lack of the vitamin may have contributed to the baby’s death.
He has written to Health Secretary Andrew Lansley saying the public should be made aware of the possible dangers of vitamin D deficiency.
In his letter, the North London coroner said Milind Agarwal was taken to the doctor in July with a probable viral infection.
He was sent home with saline nasal drops.
A later telephone consultation with another doctor led to his parents being advised to give him paracetamol.
But his mother and father still had concerns and called an ambulance. Their son was taken to Northwick Park Hospital in north London, “where it was recognised he was seriously unwell”.
He died from septic inflammation of the heart against a background of an abnormal aortic heart valve, the inquest was told last week.
A consultant paediatric pathologist told the coroner’s court that vitamin D deficiency played a role in the progression of the infection and suggested all pregnant and breastfeeding women be prescribed vitamin D daily.
Mr Walker repeated the suggestion to Mr Lansley, saying these women should receive 10 micrograms of vitamin D every day.
The Department of Health said: “All pregnant women are advised to take vitamin D supplements.” - Daily Mail