Vitamina D: è indispensabile...
ma non esageriamo!

The article presents a case of severe hypercalcemia due to hypervitaminosis D in a 5-month-old infant. The child was fed with infant formula. He received 2 drops of 25-hydroxy vitamin D₃/day since he was born. His clinical features showed growth retardation, anorexia and dehydration, axial hypotonia, psychomotor development retardat and closed anterior fontanel. Investigations showed low levels of parathormone, marked hypercalciuria, high levels of 25-OH vitamin D₃ and nephrocalcinosis established by ultrasound evaluation. The infant was treated with parenteral hydration, oral prednisone and oral potassium citrate. The Vitamin D supplementation was stopped. Furthermore, the regular feeding milk was replaced with a new low-calcium and vitamin D-free one. This clinical case has to be taken as an example to discourage the routine use of vitamin D metabolites as prophylaxis of hypovitaminosis D.