Background: Low vitamin D level is associated with autoimmune disease, such as SLE, Multiple Sclerosis, Diabetes Mellitus, and Malignancies, skin, neurological and cognitive disorders. Low vitamin D level is associated with increased incidence of infections, such as tuberculosis. Adequate vitamin level is important in preventing falls and fractures.

Cerebral palsy is the most common childhood disability and is considered as a static encephalopathy due to injury, ischemia or infection of immature brain during the prenatal, natal and post natal period up to the age of 2 years, resulting in abnormal tone, postures, involving movement resulting in unsteadiness of the gait.

Objectives:  To study the Vitamin D deficiency in cerebral palsy children below 18 years.

Study Designs- Hospital based cross section study

Study Setting- out patient department and cerebral palsy clinic in the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation, government medical college, thiruvananthapuram

Study Subjects- cerebral palsy children below 18 year attending the OPD and cerebral palsy clinic in the Department of Physical medicine and rehabilitation, Government medical college, Thiruvananthapuram:

Results: In our present study Vitamin D Deficiency was found in 33 out of 60 cases. The prevalence was found to be 55% which is high. Insufficiency was noted in 35% cases.   Deficiency along with insufficiency constituted to 90%.

Keywords: vitamin D deficiency, cerebral palsy, early intervention.

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Dr S. Abdul Gafoor

Professor and HOD, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Government Medical College, Kottayam, Kerala, 686008, India

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