Vitamin D supplementation had no statistically significant effects on total body bone mineral content ( BMC ) , hip bone mineral density ( BMD ) or forearm BMD .
These results do not support vitamin D supplementation to improve bone density in healthy children with normal vitamin D levels , but suggest that supplementation of deficient children may be clinical ly useful .
BACKGROUND Results of r and omised controlled trials ( RCTs ) of vitamin D supplementation to improve  bone density in children are inconsistent .
OBJECTIVES To determine the effectiveness of vitamin D supplementation for improving  bone mineral density in children , whether any effect varies by sex , age or pubertal stage , the type or dose of vitamin D given or baseline vitamin D status , and if effects persist after cessation of supplementation .
School-milk intervention trial enhances growth and bone mineral accretion in Chinese girls aged 10-12 years in Beijing.
A 2-year milk intervention trial was carried out with 757 girls , aged 10 years , from nine primary schools in Beijing ( April 1999 - March 2001 ) . Schools were r and omised into three groups : group 1 , 238 girls consumed a carton of 330 ml milk fortified with Ca on school days over the study period ; group 2 , 260 girls received the same quantity of milk additionally fortified with 5 or 8 microg cholecalciferol ;  group 3 , 259 control girls .  Anthropometric and bone mineralisation measurements , as well as dietary , health and physical-activity data , were collected at baseline and after 12 and 24 months of the trial . Over the 2-year period the consumption of this milk , with or without added cholecalciferol , led to significant increases in the changes in height ( > or = 0.6 % ) , sitting height ( > or = 0.8 % ) , body weight ( > or 2.9 % ) , and ( size-adjusted ) total-body bone mineral content ( > or = 1.2 % ) and bone mineral density ( > or = 3.2 % ) . Those subjects receiving additional cholecalciferol compared with those receiving the milk without added 25-hydoxycholecalciferol had significantly greater increases in the change in ( size-adjusted ) total-body bone mineral content ( 2.4 v. 1.2 % ) and bone mineral density ( 5.5 v. 3.2 % ) . The milk fortified with cholecalciferol significantly improved vitamin D status at the end of the trial compared with the milk alone or control groups . It is concluded that an increase in milk consumption , e.g. by means of school milk programmes , would improve bone growth during adolescence , particularly when Ca intake and vitamin D status are low
Vitamin D supplementation had no statistically significant effects on total body bone mineral content ( BMC ) , hip bone mineral density ( BMD ) or forearm BMD .
These results do not support vitamin D supplementation to improve bone density in healthy children with normal vitamin D levels , but suggest that supplementation of deficient children may be clinical ly useful .
BACKGROUND Results of r and omised controlled trials ( RCTs ) of vitamin D supplementation to improve  bone density in children are inconsistent .
OBJECTIVES To determine the effectiveness of vitamin D supplementation for improving  bone mineral density in children , whether any effect varies by sex , age or pubertal stage , the type or dose of vitamin D given or baseline vitamin D status , and if effects persist after cessation of supplementation .