The influence of early exposure to vitamin D for development of diseases later in life.
BMC Public Health. 2013 May 28;13:515. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-13-515.
Jacobsen R, Abrahamsen B, Bauerek M, Holst C, Jensen CB, Knop J, Raymond K, Rasmussen LB, Stougaard M, Sørensen TI, Vaag AA, Heitmann BL.
Institute of Preventive Medicine, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospitals - a part of Copenhagen University Hospital, Nordre Fasanvej 57, DK-2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark.
BACKGROUND:
Vitamin D deficiency is common among otherwise healthy pregnant women and may have consequences for them as well as the early development and long-term health of their children. However, the importance of maternal vitamin D status on offspring health later in life has not been widely studied. The present study includes an in-depth examination of the influence of exposure to vitamin D early in life for development of fractures of the wrist, arm and clavicle; obesity, and type 1 diabetes (T1D) during child- and adulthood.
METHODS/DESIGN:
The study is based on the fact that in 1961 fortifying margarine with vitamin D became mandatory in Denmark and in 1972 low fat milk fortification was allowed. Apart from determining the influences of exposure prior to conception and during prenatal life, we will examine the importance of vitamin D exposure during specific seasons and trimesters, by comparing disease incidence among individuals born before and after fortification. The Danish National databases assure that there are a sufficient number of individuals to verify any vitamin D effects during different gestation phases. Additionally, a validated method will be used to determine neonatal vitamin D status using stored dried blood spots (DBS) from individuals who developed the aforementioned disease entities as adults and their time and gender-matched controls.
DISCUSSION:
The results of the study will contribute to our current understanding of the significance of supplementation with vitamin D. More specifically, they will enable new research in related fields, including interventional research designed to assess supplementation needs for different subgroups of pregnant women. Also, other health outcomes can subsequently be studied to generate multiple health research opportunities involving vitamin D. Finally, the results of the study will justify the debate of Danish health authorities whether to resume vitamin D supplementation policies.
PMID: 23714352
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See also VitaminDWiki
- Schizophrenia increased 40 percent for Spring births after Danes stopped vitamin D fortification – April 2014 first report of the study
- Fortification with Vitamin D works – 16 studies of Danish experience – July 2021
- Vitamin D home fortification- don't wait 100 years for your govt
- Can fortify food with 1000 IU of vitamin D - Italy, March 2013
- Improved health due to vitamin D fortification in Finland a previous similar study
Change of Vitamin D Fortification in Denmark
- 60 percent more life births after infertility diagnosis if Vitamin D fortification (Denmark) - Nov 2019
- Vitamin D food fortification during pregnancy reduced gestational diabetes in daughters by 13 percent – Nov 2018
- Vitamin D added to margarine reduced inflammatory bowel disease by 13 percent 30 years later – Nov 2019
- Preeclampsia of offspring cut in half if mother who smoked had vitamin D fortified margarine – Dec 2017
- Danish study of childhood diseases vs vitamin D fortification – May 2013
- 9 studies by Denmak D-Tech group (fortifiy Margarine with Vitamin D) online as of Nov 2019