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Maternal vitamin D status during pregnancy and childhood bone mass at age 9 years: a longitudinal study

M K Javaid1, S R Crozier, N C Harvey

  • 1MRC Epidemiology Resource Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK.

Lancet (London, England)
|January 10, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Maternal vitamin D insufficiency during pregnancy is linked to lower bone mass in children. Supplementing pregnant women with vitamin D may reduce future osteoporosis risk in offspring.

Area of Science:

  • Nutritional science
  • Pediatric health
  • Bone metabolism

Background:

  • Vitamin D insufficiency is prevalent in women of childbearing age.
  • Early life environmental factors may influence adult osteoporosis risk.
  • Maternal health during pregnancy impacts offspring skeletal development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of maternal vitamin D status during pregnancy on childhood skeletal growth.
  • To determine if maternal vitamin D levels correlate with offspring bone mass at age 9.
  • To explore the role of calcium and UV-B exposure in this relationship.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study of 198 children born in Southampton, UK.
  • Maternal characteristics (body build, nutrition, vitamin D status) assessed during pregnancy.
  • Children followed up to age 9 for body size and bone mass measurements.

Main Results:

  • 31% of mothers had insufficient and 18% had deficient vitamin D levels.
  • Lower maternal vitamin D was associated with reduced whole-body and lumbar-spine bone mineral content in children.
  • Maternal vitamin D levels were predicted by UV-B exposure and supplementation; both also predicted childhood bone mass.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal vitamin D insufficiency during pregnancy is associated with reduced bone accrual in children.
  • This association is partly mediated by umbilical venous calcium concentrations.
  • Vitamin D supplementation for pregnant women could decrease offspring osteoporosis risk.
Abstract

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