Study shows that vitamin D levels during pregnancy are related to...

Vitamin D is a critical nutrient and has many important functions in the body. A mother’s supply of vitamin D is passed on to her baby in the uterus and helps regulate processes, including brain development. A study published today in the Journal of Nutrition found that maternal vitamin D levels during pregnancy are related to their children’s IQ, suggesting that higher levels of vitamin D during pregnancy lead to higher IQ levels in children being able to lead. The study also identified significantly lower vitamin D levels in black pregnant women.

Melissa Melough, lead author of the study and a researcher in the Department of Child Health, Behavior and Development at Seattle Children’s Research Institute, says vitamin D deficiency is common in both the general population and pregnant women, but notes that black women are at higher risk. Melough hopes the study will help health care providers eliminate the differences between women with skin color and women at higher risk of vitamin D deficiency.

“Melanin pigment protects the skin from sun damage, but by blocking UV rays, melanin also reduces vitamin D production in the skin. For this reason, we were not surprised in our study that pregnant black women have high vitamin D deficiencies. Although many pregnant women take a prenatal vitamin, it may not correct an existing vitamin D deficiency, “said Melough. “I hope our work will create greater awareness of this issue, demonstrate the long-lasting effects of prenatal vitamin D on the child and their neurocognitive development, and highlight that there are certain groups that providers should pay more attention to Vitamin D- Mirrors are generally not recommended, but I think health care providers should watch out for those at higher risk, including black women. ”

Eliminate inequalities

According to Melough, up to 80% of black pregnant women in the US may be deficient in vitamin D. Of the women who participated in the study, approximately 46% of mothers were deficient in vitamin D and vitamin D during their pregnancy black women had lower values ​​than white women.

Melough and her co-authors used data from a cohort in Tennessee called the Conditions Affecting Neurocognitive Development and Learning in Early Childhood (CANDLE) study. CANDLE researchers recruited pregnant women to take part in the study from 2006 onwards, and gathered information about their children’s health and development over time.

After controlling for several other factors related to IQ, higher levels of vitamin D during pregnancy were associated with higher IQ in children 4-6 years of age. While observational studies like this one cannot prove a cause, Melough believes their results have important implications and warrant further research.

Lack of Vitamin D

“Vitamin D deficiency is common,” said Melough. “The good news is that there is a relatively simple solution. Getting enough vitamin D through diet can be difficult, and not everyone can make up for this gap with sun exposure. A good solution is therefore to take a dietary supplement. ”

The recommended daily intake of vitamin D is 600 international units (IU). On average, Americans use less than 200 IU in their diet. If people don’t fill that void with sun exposure or supplementation, people are likely to become deficient, according to Melough. Foods that are higher in vitamin D include oily fish, eggs, and fortified sources like cow’s milk and breakfast cereals. However, Melough notes that vitamin D is one of the most difficult nutrients to get from our diet in sufficient quantities.

Additional research is needed to determine optimal vitamin D levels during pregnancy. However, Melough hopes this study will help develop dietary recommendations for pregnant women. Especially for black women and those at high risk of vitamin D deficiency, dietary supplements and health screening can be an effective strategy for reducing health inequalities.

The central theses

Melough says there are three key takeaways from the study:

-Vitamin D deficiency is common during pregnancy and black women are at higher risk because melanin pigments in the skin reduce the production of vitamin D.

– Higher vitamin D levels in mothers during pregnancy can promote brain development and lead to higher IQ scores in children

-Screening and supplementation can correct vitamin D deficiency in people at risk and promote cognitive function in offspring

“I want people to know that this is a common problem that can affect children’s development,” Melough said. “Vitamin D deficiency can occur even if you eat healthily. Sometimes it is related to our lifestyle, skin pigmentation, or other factors that are beyond our control. ”

reference::

Mehmet Kocak, Sheela Sathyanarayana, Frances A. Tylavsky et al. Maternal plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D during pregnancy is positively associated with neurocognitive development in offspring aged 4 to 6 years. The Journal of Nutrition, 2020; DOI: 10.1093 / jn / nxaa309