Why was my son given instructions to take 1000 iu Vitamin D by his pediatric endocrinologist?

Vitamin D is pretty important. Look it up. Especially in Northern areas, we get very little sunlight during the Fall and Winter. A tad too cold to walk around in the sun with your shirt off. The old remedy used to be Cod Liver Oil, but now they have purified vitamin D caps. I do not know if the doctor is recommending this because of a lab test or just general preventitive treatment. It is not a huge dose. Next time you see the doctor, ask him. I think most of us need supplemental D in the Winter.

The ideal vitamin D blood level is likely between 50 and 80 ng/mL. Have a look at your son's panel results again and if his circulating 25 hydroxyvitamin D level [also called 25(OH)D] is on the low side then I would say 1000 IU of Vitamin D per day is justified.

I just finished reading "The Vitamin D Solution..." written by Michael Holick, MD. [Go to Amazon's website and read the customer reviews for this book.]

Dr. Holick recommends 1000 IUs for all children over one year old not just for those who are found deficient.

Your son was recommended to take this because his pediatric endocrinologist knows he needs it.

It seems to me that with all the concerns about the development of skin cancer Americans are not getting enough sunshine to create the necessary quantities of Vitamin D which is made in the skin. The fortifies milk products do not have sufficient Vitamin D for our needs. Vitamin D is an essential cofactor in bone and calcium biochemistry. I believe that the addition of 1000 Units of Vit D daily will be useful for most of us to maintain strong healthy bones.

Without knowing the results of your son's lab tests, his physical exam, or other clinical observations, no one can tell you why Vitamin D was prescribed. But apparently the doctor thought he needed it, or he wouldn't have sent you the note. If you have questions about why it was prescribed, why don't you do the simplest thing here: instead of asking strangers on a Yahoo board to take wild guesses, why don't you simply call the Endocrinologist's office and ASK THEM?

I agree with the several respondents. But will you please tell us what the endocrinologist said when you choose best answer. We're all curious. At least I am.