Gestational Vitamin 25(OH)D Status as a Risk Factor for Receptive Language Development: A 24-Month, Longitudinal, Observational Study
Nutrients 2015, 7, 9918–9930; doi:10.3390/nu7125499
Frances A. Tylavsky 1,2,*, Mehmet Kocak 1, Laura E. Murphy 3,4, J. Carolyn Graff 4,5
Emerging data suggest that vitamin D status during childhood and adolescence can affect neurocognitive development. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether gestational 25(OH)D status is associated with early childhood cognitive and receptive language development. The Conditions Affecting Neurocognitive Development and Learning in Early Childhood Study (CANDLE) study enrolled 1503 mother-child dyads during the second trimester of healthy singleton pregnancies from Shelby County TN. Among 1020 participants of the total CANDLE cohort for whom 25(OH)D levels were available, mean gestational 25(OH)D level during the second trimester was 22.3 ng/mL (range 5.9–68.4), with 41.7% of values <20 ng/dL. Cognitive and language scaled scores increased in a stair-step manner as gestational 25(OH)D levels in the second trimester rose from <20 ng/dL, through 20–29.99 ng/dL, to ě30 ng/dL. When controlling for socioeconomic status, race, use of tobacco products, gestational age of the child at birth, and age at the 2-year assessment, the gestational 25(OH)D was positively related to receptive language development (p < 0.017), but not cognitive or expressive language.
Clipped from Discussion
To our knowledge, this is the largest prospective study to date examining the potential impact of
gestational 25(OH)D status upon early childhood cognitive and language development in a racially
diverse population. We found that higher gestational 25(OH)D status significantly associated with
higher scaled scores for receptive language in offspring at 2 years of age.
In humans, 25(OH)D levels during pregnancy have been positively associated with
neurocognitive development in some [14,16] but not all studies [40–42]. Our observations support
that language development is positively associated with gestational 25(OH)D levels as early as
2 years, while Whitehouse et al., showed an effect as late as age 7 [14].
Similarly, an effect estimate of 0.24 for receptive and 0.12 for expressive
language scaled score per 10 ng/dL increase in 25(OH)D translates into an increase of 1.0 and 0.6 IQ
point respectively by age 2. The reduction in lifetime earnings has been estimated at $22,000 lost
for each 1 IQ point decrease [44].
Download the PDF from VitaminDWiki
Increasing Vitamin D levels in infants will probably increase Language Reception
Vitamin D levels can be increased during pregnancy by:
- Supplementing with Vitamin D - often as little as one pill every two weeks $0.20/week
- Getting more sunshine
- Getting UVB
Note: It is difficult to get a meaningful amount of vitamin D from food nowdays.
Thus, $4.00 of Vitamin D during pregnancy may result in $22,000 additional lifetime income
See also VitaminDWiki
- 3X more kids were vitamin D deficient when entering UK hospitals than 4 years before – Oct 2014
- UVB added in classroom reduced cavities, increased height, increased academics. etc
- Unsupplemented infants were 19X more likely to be vitamin D deficient - May 2012
Healthy pregnancies need lots of vitamin D has the following summary
Most were taking 2,000 to 7,000 IU daily for >50% of pregnancy
Click on hyperlinks for details
Problem | Vit. D Reduces | Evidence |
| 0. Chance of not conceiving | 3.4 times | Observe |
| 1. Miscarriage | 2.5 times | Observe |
| 2. Pre-eclampsia | 3.6 times | RCT |
| 3. Gestational Diabetes | 3 times | RCT |
| 4. Good 2nd trimester sleep quality | 3.5 times | Observe |
| 5. Premature birth | 2 times | RCT |
| 6. C-section - unplanned | 1.6 times | Observe |
| Stillbirth - OMEGA-3 | 4 times | RCT - Omega-3 |
| 7. Depression AFTER pregnancy | 1.4 times | RCT |
| 8. Small for Gestational Age | 1.6 times | meta-analysis |
| 9. Infant height, weight, head size within normal limits | RCT | |
| 10. Childhood Wheezing | 1.3 times | RCT |
| 11. Additional child is Autistic | 4 times | Intervention |
| 12.Young adult Multiple Sclerosis | 1.9 times | Observe |
| 13. Preeclampsia in young adult | 3.5 times | RCT |
| 14. Good motor skills @ age 3 | 1.4 times | Observe |
| 15. Childhood Mite allergy | 5 times | RCT |
| 16. Childhood Respiratory Tract visits | 2.5 times | RCT |
RCT = Randomized Controlled Trial
Infant-Child Intervention trials using Vitamin D:
- Children had a better response to Vitamin D given every 2 weeks than daily – RCT Aug 2024
- Monthly vitamin D dosing better for children than daily (again) - Oct 2023
- Bone fractures of children not reduced if given little vitamin D, no Calcium etc. – RCT May 2023
- Chronic tonsillitis virtually eliminated in children by Vitamin D (50,000 IU weekly) – RCT May 2023
- Infants getting an additional 800 IU of vitamin D for 2 years had 60% fewer psychiatric symptoms at age 7 – RCT May 2023
- Response to infant 2,000 IU Vitamin D daily was in 194 ng, monthly dosing was 20% less – RCT May 2023
- Half of infants had less than 20 ng of Vitamin D with 800 IU (need more) – RCT Sept 2022
- COVID children helped by Vitamin D, trial terminated: unethical to not give Vitamin D to all: – RCT July 2022
- Faster growth in infants getting 1200 IU of Vitamin D – RCT July 2022
- Breastfed Infants need more than an daily average of 800 IU of Vitamin D – RCT June 2022
- 2.4 X fewer lower respiratory track infections in infants getting 400 IU of Vitamin D – May 2022
- Infants have gotten free 400 IU of vitamin D in Turkey since 2005, More for longer would be even better – Feb 2022
- Monthly 120,000 IU of Vitamin D while breastfeeding was good – RCT Jan 2022
- Additional Vitamin D not help – infants previously had 35 ng of vitamin D – RCT Sept 2021
- Supplement preterm infants with vitamin D if less than 80 ng – RCT Sept 2021
- 400 IU of Vitamin D helped breastfed infants, need more – RCT Sept 2021
- Infant Respiratory Infections not reduced by mothers taking small amount of vitamin D (28,000 weekly)– RCT July 2021
- Vitamin D for infants – 100,000 IU monthly is better than 400 IU daily – RCT Oct 2020
- Toddlers with more than 48 ng of vitamin D weighted less and were thinner – RCT Dec 2020
- 6,400 IU of Vitamin D is safe and effective during breastfeeding – RCT Dec, 2020
- Little weight loss in obese children from very small amount of vitamin D (1200 IU) – RCT April 2020
- Lower Respiratory Tract Infection in Infants reduced 5.9 X by daily 600 IU of vitamin D (China) - March 2020
- Bones of white children not helped by 1,000 IU of vitamin D (Northern latitudes) – RCT Sept 2018
- Vitamin D levels in children optimized with six Vitamin D biscuits – RCT Nov 2018
- Tic disorder reduced by Vitamin D supplementation – Aug 2019
- Preemie immunity (Treg) vastly improved by 800 IU of Vitamin D daily – RCT July 2019
- Allergic Rhinitis in infants treated by 1,000 IU vitamin D daily – June 2019
- Treatment of neonate sepsis greatly aided by Vitamin D – RCT June 2019
- 400 IU of Vitamin D in food provided virtually no benefit to children - March 2018
- Children need 2000 IU of Vitamin D (India) - RCT May 2019
- Autistic symptoms reduced by Vitamin D and or Omega-3 – RCT March 2019
- Preterm babies have low vitamin D, but recover in 6 weeks with 800 IU supplementation – Jan 2019
- Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder treated by weekly 50,000 IU of vitamin D – RCT Nov 2018
- Autism problems reduced by Vitamin D, Omega-3 – RCT Oct 2018
- 1200 IU vs 400 IU of vitamin D did not improve bone health or immunity of children who were sufficient – RCT July 2018
- Childhood Respiratory Health hardly improved with 600 IU of vitamin D (need much more) – May 2018
- 430 genes changed when 3,800 IU Vitamin D added in late second trimester – RCT May 2018
- Severe Non-Alcoholic fatty liver disease treated by Omega-3 – RCT April 2018
- 400 IU of Vitamin D provided no benefit to children (not a surprise) – RCT March 2018
- Allergic rhinitis in children reduced somewhat during pollen season by just 1,000 IU of vitamin D – RCT Jan 2018
- Half the risk of Influenza -A in infants taking 1200 IU of vitamin D for 4 months – RCT Jan 2018
- Risk of infant Asthma cut in half if mother supplemented Vitamin D to get more than 30 ng – RCT Oct 2017
- Preemies getting 800 IU of vitamin D were 3X less likely to have low bone density 4 weeks later – RCT Oct 2017
- Preemies need 1,000 IU of vitamin D – RCT Sept 2017
- NAFLD in children nicely treated by combination of Vitamin D and Omega-3 – RCT Dec 2016
- Vitamin D needed to get children to just 20 ng in winter 800 IU white skin, 1100 IU dark (Sweden) – RCT June 2017
- Childhood asthma problems eliminated for months by 600,000 IU of Vitamin D injection – June 2017
- Breastfeeding mothers and Vitamin D: supplement only themselves usually, 4 out of 10 used monthly rather than daily – Jan 2017
- Premature infants (30 weeks) who got 800-1000 IU of vitamin D were much healthier – March 2017
- Newborn Vitamin D - single 50,000 IU is better than daily – RCT Sept 2016