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Fetal vitamin D concentration and growth, adiposity and neurodevelopment during infancy

H Wang1, X D Yu1,2, L S Huang3

  • 1MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, China.

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition
|January 20, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Cord blood vitamin D levels in infants were not linked to differences in growth, adiposity, or neurodevelopment. This study found no association between fetal 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and early childhood development outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Maternal-Fetal Medicine
  • Developmental Pediatrics

Background:

  • Vitamin D is crucial for numerous physiological processes.
  • Fetal vitamin D status is influenced by maternal levels.
  • The impact of in-utero vitamin D on infant development is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between cord blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations and infant growth parameters.
  • To examine the relationship between fetal 25(OH)D levels and infant adiposity.
  • To determine the link between cord blood vitamin D status and neurodevelopmental outcomes in early childhood.

Main Methods:

  • Cord blood serum 25(OH)D was measured using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in 1244 infants.
  • Infant growth (weight, length, head circumference, BMI z-scores) was assessed at 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years.
  • Neurodevelopment was evaluated at 2 years using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire; statistical analyses included generalized estimating equations and multivariable logistic regression.

Main Results:

  • The median cord blood 25(OH)D concentration was 22.4 ng/ml, with lower levels observed in infants born during winter.
  • No significant associations were found between cord blood 25(OH)D levels and infant weight, length, head circumference, or BMI z-scores.
  • Fetal vitamin D status was not associated with neurodevelopmental outcomes at 2 years of age, even after adjusting for multiple covariates.

Conclusions:

  • Fetal vitamin D sufficiency, as indicated by cord blood 25(OH)D levels, does not appear to influence infant growth, adiposity, or neurodevelopment.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate the potential role and mechanisms of vitamin D in the early origins of adiposity.
  • The findings suggest that vitamin D status in early infancy may not be a critical determinant of these developmental trajectories.
Abstract

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