Kids' Low Vitamin D Worries Doctors

The sunshine vitamin is in the spotlight again -- and this time the focus is on infants and toddlers. Many young children do not get enough vitamin D, one team of researchers said. And while experts agree on the problem, the solution is another matter.

In a study at Children's Hospital Boston, researchers found that 12 percent of infants and toddlers were deficient in vitamin D and 40 percent had below-optimal levels.

The findings, published in the June 2008 issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, also showed that one-third of children who were deficient had changes in bone density seen on X-rays of the wrist and knee. A few even had signs of rickets, or softening of the bones caused by severe deficiency of vitamin D. Don't forget, vitamin D has also been found to be a big factor in preventing infection as well.

More from ABC News