Maternal vitamin D status affects bone growth in early childhood-a prospective cohort study.
Osteoporos Int. 2010 Dec 10.
Viljakainen HT, Korhonen T, Hytinantti T, Laitinen EK, Andersson S, Mäkitie O, Lamberg-Allardt C.
Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Tukholmankatu 2C, PO Box 705, 00029, Helsinki, Finland, heli.viljakainen@helsinki.fi.
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 ?g/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 ?BMD 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. PMID: 21153404