Association between vitamin A and D levels and the risk of type 1 diabetes mellitus in children

Background Vitamin A (VA) and vitamin D (VD) play crucial roles in immune regulation, yet their status in pediatric type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) remains underexplored. This study aims to investigate the association between VA and VD levels and T1DM in children, providing a scientific basis for potential nutritional intervention strategies. Methods This retrospective observational study was conducted at the Children’s Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University. The study enrolled 31 children diagnosed with T1DM who underwent vitamin testing between January 2022 and October 2025. A control group of 31 children who received health examinations and VA assessments during the same period was included for comparison. Clinical and laboratory data were extracted from the hospital’s electronic medical records system. Results The levels of serum VA and VD in children with T1DM were significantly lower than those in the control group, and the deficiency rate was correspondingly increased. Correlation analysis showed that the levels of VA ( r = −0.708, p < 0.001) and VD ( r = −0.366, p = 0.003) were negatively correlated with fasting blood glucose. Multivariate regression analysis identified VA (OR = 0.974, 95% CI: 0.959–0.990, p = 0.001) and VD (OR = 0.857, 95% CI: 0.761–0.965, p = 0.011) as independently associated factors for T1DM after adjustment for body temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate and BMI. Further analysis found an association between VA and VD deficiency and T1DM prevalence status in children. Conclusion Serum levels of VA and VD are significantly associated with fasting blood glucose in children and show an independent association with T1DM. These findings suggest that maintaining appropriate VA and VD status may have some significance in the clinical management of T1DM in children, but they still need to be verified by rigorous longitudinal and interventional studies.