Lower vitamin D levels in the breast milk is associated with atopic dermatitis in early infancy

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Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels
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Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels

Published on: August 7, 2017

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Li-Chieh Wang1, Bor-Luen Chiang2, Yen-Ming Huang1

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.

Pediatric Allergy and Immunology : Official Publication of the European Society of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
|November 24, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Lower vitamin D levels in breast milk (BM) were linked to increased atopic dermatitis (AD) severity in exclusively breastfed infants. This suggests vitamin D deficiency in BM may be a risk factor for infantile AD.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Nutritional Science
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Previous research indicated that discontinuing breastfeeding could improve atopic dermatitis (AD) symptoms in exclusively breastfed infants.
  • Vitamins A and D play crucial roles in immune system regulation.
  • The study investigated the potential link between vitamin A and D levels in breast milk (BM) and AD in infants.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the association between vitamin A and D concentrations in breast milk (BM) and the severity of atopic dermatitis (AD) in exclusively breastfed infants.
  • To determine if vitamin D levels in BM are a risk factor for infantile AD.

Main Methods:

  • Two- to four-month-old exclusively breastfed infants were enrolled.
  • Objective SCORing Atopic Dermatitis (objSCORAD) was used to assess AD severity.
  • Breast milk (BM) lipid layers were analyzed for vitamin A and D levels using liquid chromatography.

Main Results:

  • Infants with AD had significantly lower levels of 25-(OH) D3 in their breast milk (BM) compared to healthy controls.
  • Vitamin D levels in BM showed a negative correlation with objSCORAD scores, indicating higher vitamin D levels were associated with less severe AD.
  • Vitamin A levels in BM did not differ significantly between infants with and without AD.

Conclusions:

  • Lower vitamin D levels in breast milk (BM) are negatively associated with atopic dermatitis (AD) severity in exclusively breastfed infants.
  • Reduced vitamin D content in breast milk may represent a risk factor for developing infantile AD.
Abstract

Keywords:
atopic dermatitisbreast milkobjective SCORing Atopic Dermatitisvitamin D

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