Vitamin D is an essential nutrient that plays a vital role in bone health and musculoskeletal development. The aim of this narrative review is to present up-to-date information about the impact of vitamin D deficiency (VDD) on the health status of infants in their first year of life. Vitamin D is indispensable for skeletal growth and bone health, and emerging research suggests that it may also have significant roles in maternal and fetal health. VDD affects a large proportion of infants according to current guidelines. However, its prevalence varies depending on geographic location, skin pigmentation, and the time of year. Based on current guidelines for normal vitamin D levels and recommended daily intake, studies suggest that VDD is a global health issue with potentially significant implications for those at risk, especially infants. Our understanding of the role of vitamin D has improved significantly in the last few decades. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses investigating the effect of vitamin D on preterm birth, low birth weight, anthropometric parameters, and health outcomes such as infectious diseases in infants, have found conflicting or inconsistent results. It is important to encourage further research to fill in these knowledge gaps and develop national or global strategies that ease the burden of VDD, especially in groups at risk.

Background: The Roma are a socioeconomically disadvantaged, marginalized community with reduced access to education, social services, and healthcare. Despite the known health risks they are exposed to, we have limited data about a wide range of health outcomes in this population, including vitamin D deficiency. The aim of this study was to investigate prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and its impact on the anthropometric outcomes of newborns in a group of Roma mothers and their infants in Romania. Methods: In total, 131 Roma women and 131 newborns were included in the study. Vitamin D levels in both mothers and newborns, as well as the birth weight, length, and head circumference of newborns, were recorded at birth. We also assessed socioeconomic factors, including education, employment status, income, and living conditions, as well as factors that influence vitamin D status, including sun exposure, use of sunscreen, fish consumption, and skin type. Results: All mothers and almost all newborns had vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency, with 25-hydroxivitamin D levels below 30 ng/mL. Maternal vitamin D status was significantly correlated with neonatal vitamin D levels (p < 0.01) but not with anthropometric outcomes such as birth weight (p = 0.57), birth length (p = 0.53), or head circumference (p = 0.96). Most study participants had a low socioeconomic status, reporting severe deficiencies in education, employment status, household income, and living conditions. Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency is a significant public health issue among Roma women and their newborns, which may be compounded by the socioeconomic challenges of this vulnerable population.

Introduction: Adequate maternal vitamin D status during pregnancy is essential for fetal skeletal development and neonatal vitamin D reserves. Evidence from Central and Eastern Europe on maternal deficiency, its determinants, and supplementation effectiveness in late pregnancy is limited. This study assessed the impact of 2000 IU/day and 4000 IU/day maternal vitamin D supplementation during the third trimester, compared to no supplementation, on maternal and neonatal 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)₂D] levels at birth, and explored sociodemographic, obstetric, dietary, and lifestyle factors affecting vitamin D status. Methods: In a cross-sectional study at Târgu Mureș County Clinical Hospital, Romania, 322 term mother–newborn pairs (37–41 weeks) from January 2021 to July 2023 were evaluated. The maternal and umbilical cord 25(OH)₂D was measured via electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Data on socioeconomic status, parity, sun exposure, diet, and supplementation were collected through questionnaires and records. Statistical analysis included chi-square, linear regression, and multivariate modeling. Results: Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency affected 32.3% and 18.9% of mothers, respectively. Supplementation was the strongest predictor of sufficiency (p < 0.01), showing a dose–response effect (r = 0.84, p < 0.01). Maternal and neonatal 25(OH)₂D levels were strongly correlated (r = 0.99, p < 0.01). Although several factors correlated with deficiency in univariate analyses, only supplementation remained significant in multivariate models. No link was found between 25(OH)₂D status and neonatal anthropometrics or early complications. Conclusions: A high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency has been documented among pregnant women in Romania. High-dose supplementation during late pregnancy is critical to ensure sufficient maternal and neonatal vitamin D, highlighting the need for standardized antenatal supplementation protocols, especially in disadvantaged groups.

Background: SARS-CoV-2 and influenza can present with similar clinical pictures in children, with symptoms and paraclinical particularities which might aid in the differentiation of the two entities and which can be suggestive of various complications. The present study aims to identify clinical and paraclinical differences between pediatric SARS-CoV-2 and influenza infection and to assess the utility of hematological parameters for prediction of their related complications. Methods: In this study, 266 children were retrospectively enrolled, divided into two groups: 129 children diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection and 137 children infected with influenza. In each case, particular symptoms were recorded, as well as hospitalization duration, pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission or O2 supplementation requirement. Parameters of the hemoleucogram and biochemistry parameters were also collected for comparative assessment. Results: SARS-CoV-2 infections were more commonly associated with digestive symptoms, whereas influenza infections implied longer hospital stays and higher likelihood of PICU admission necessity. Monocytes and lymphocyte/monocyte ratios (LMRs) were significantly higher in the SARS-CoV-2 group (p < 0.01, p = 0.02). Several hematological parameters, such as neutrophil/lymphocyte ratios, correlated with hospitalization duration in SARS-CoV-2 and influenza B infections (p < 0.01, p = 0.01), whereas LMR was predictive of respiratory distress (p = 0.02) in the same study groups. Conclusions: According to the study, monocyte levels and LMR can aid in the distinction of pediatric SARS-CoV-2 and influenza infections and LMR and NLR can be used particularly as predictors of complicated course of these infections.

Background: Childhood cancers account for approximately 1–2% of all malignancies worldwide, with hematologic cancers representing about 35–40% of pediatric cases. Improved survival has brought increased recognition of both acute and long-term therapy-related complications, including secondary malignant neoplasms (SMNs). Survivors of pediatric hematologic malignancies face a lifelong risk of secondary malignant neoplasms (SMNs), which remain among the most severe late effects of therapy. Methods: We conducted a PRISMA 2020–aligned systematic review of cohort and registry studies evaluating SMNs after childhood hematologic cancers. Databases searched included PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Library. Two reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale; disagreements were resolved by a third reviewer. Results: Forty-three studies (>70,000 survivors, median follow-up 5–30+ years) were included. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) for secondary malignant neoplasms compared to the general population ranged from 2.0 to 6.0, with absolute excess risks (AERs) of approximately 10–40 per 10,000 person-years. Therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia occurred within 5–10 years, while solid secondary malignant neoplasms (breast, thyroid, central nervous system, sarcomas) emerged after 10–25 years. The highest risks for developing secondary malignant neoplasms were observed among female survivors of Hodgkin lymphoma treated with chest and neck radiotherapy, particularly during adolescence, and among hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients exposed to total body irradiation or chronic graft-versus-host disease. Conclusions: SMNs are predictable late effects requiring lifelong, exposure-anchored surveillance. Precision survivorship—integrating treatment exposures, transplant conditioning, and genetic predisposition—should guide future screening strategies.