Costa Rica has one of the highest rates of childhood asthma in Latin America. According to online news daily Costa Rica On, 32 percent of Tico children between the ages of 6 and 7 suffer from asthma, and two of the major factors exacerbating the respiratory disease are vitamin D deficiency and not enough time spent playing out in the sunshine.

A genetic research study conducted by Dr. Manuel Soto Quiros of the Children’s Hospital looked at 616 asthmatic children in Costa Rica and determined that 28 percent were lacking appropriate levels of vitamin D. Those children were also the ones exhibiting the worst asthmatic conditions and who also spent more time in acute care clinics and hospitals.

“Vitamin D is naturally produced by our bodies through a liposoluble process that takes place when the skin is directly exposed to the Sun’s rays.”

Dr. Soto explained that the vitamin D deficiency points to a radical cultural and societal change in Costa Rica with regard to child rearing. The vitamin deficiency is directly related to the few options that Tico children these days have in terms of playing outside. This is an unfortunate situation, according to Dr. Soto, since the entire family is affected. Asthmatic children who spend more time indoors are more likely to exhibit vitamin D deficiency, and this in turn obligates parents to take time off from work and stay home looking after their little ones. Asthma is the most common chronic condition in Costa Rica, and it is the most cited reason for school absenteeism.

“Advances in personal technology, television programming and fear of street crime are keeping Tico children indoors longer.” said Dr. Soto.

Other factors in Costa Rica that worsen the lives of asthmatic children include second-hand cigarette smoke and low consumption of foods with naturally high –or otherwise enriched- vitamin D content, like cheese, butter, dairy cream, milk, oysters, salmon, tuna, and others. There is, however, a warning against consumption of too much food rich in vitamin D. High levels of calcium in the bloodstream could deposit in the heart and lungs, thereby causing nausea, disorientation, weight loss, and even kidney stones.