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Maternal vitamin D status affects bone growth in early childhood—a prospective cohort study

✍ Scribed by H. T. Viljakainen; T. Korhonen; T. Hytinantti; E. K. A. Laitinen; S. Andersson; O. Mäkitie; C. Lamberg-Allardt


Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Year
2010
Tongue
English
Weight
210 KB
Volume
22
Category
Article
ISSN
0937-941X

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✦ Synopsis


Summary

In this prospective study, 87 children were followed up from birth to 14 months with data on maternal vitamin D status during the pregnancy. Postnatal vitamin D supplementation improved vitamin D status but only partly eliminated the differences in bone variables induced by maternal vitamin D status during the fetal period.

Introduction

Intrauterine nutritional deficits may have permanent consequences despite improved nutritional status postnatally. We evaluated the role of prenatal and postnatal vitamin D status on bone parameters in early infancy.

Methods

Eighty-seven children were followed from birth to 14 months. Background data were collected with a questionnaire and a 3-day food record. At 14 months bone variables were measured with peripheral computed tomography (pQCT) from the left tibia. Serum 25-OHD and bone turnover markers were determined. Findings were compared with maternal vitamin D status during pregnancy.

Results

The children were divided into two groups based on vitamin D status during pregnancy. Despite discrepant S-25-OHD at baseline (median 36.3 vs. 52.5 nmol/l, p < 0.001), the values at 14 months were similar (63 vs. 66 nmol/l, p = 0.58) in Low D and High D. Serum 25-OHD increased more in Low D (p < 0.001) despite similar total intake of vitamin D (mean 12.3 μg/day). In Low D, tibial bone mineral content (BMC) was lower at birth but BMC gain was greater (multivariate analysis of variance [MANOVA]; p = 0.032) resulting in similar BMC at 14 months in the two groups. In High D, tibial total bone cross-sectional area was higher at baseline; the difference persisted at 14 months (MANOVA; p = 0.068). Bone mineral density (BMD) and ΔBMD were similar in the two groups.

Conclusions

Postnatal vitamin D supplementation improved vitamin D status but only partly eliminated the differences in bone variables induced by maternal vitamin D status during the fetal period. Further attention should be paid to improving vitamin D status during pregnancy.