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Vitamin D Status Is Not Associated with Cognitive or Motor Function in Pre-School Ugandan Children

Agnes M Mutua1, Margaret Nampijja2,3, Alison M Elliott3,4

  • 1Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Centre for Geographic Medicine Research-Coast, KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme, P.O. BOX 230-80108 Kilifi, Kenya.

Nutrients
|June 7, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Vitamin D deficiency is common in children. This study found no link between vitamin D levels and cognitive or motor skills in Ugandan children, highlighting a need for more research in sub-Saharan Africa.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Neurodevelopmental Pediatrics
  • Global Child Health

Background:

  • Vitamin D deficiency is a global health concern, particularly affecting young children.
  • Animal studies suggest vitamin D is crucial for brain development, but human data, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, is limited and inconclusive.
  • Neurobehavioural outcomes in children may be influenced by vitamin D status.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between vitamin D status and cognitive and motor outcomes in Ugandan children.
  • To address the gap in evidence regarding vitamin D's neurodevelopmental impact in sub-Saharan Africa.
  • To analyze prospective data from a birth cohort in Uganda.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective birth cohort study involving 302 Ugandan children.
  • Measurement of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels in children under five years old.
  • Assessment of cognitive and motor outcomes at five years of age using multivariable linear regression adjusted for confounders.

Main Results:

  • The majority of children had sufficient vitamin D levels (25(OH)D >50 nmol/L).
  • No statistically significant association was found between early-life vitamin D status and cognitive or motor outcomes at five years of age.
  • The study provides data on vitamin D levels and neurodevelopment in a sub-Saharan African population.

Conclusions:

  • Early-life vitamin D status does not appear to be associated with cognitive and motor outcomes in this cohort of Ugandan children.
  • Further longitudinal research is needed to understand the complex relationship between vitamin D and neurobehavioural development in children in sub-Saharan Africa.
  • This study contributes to the limited body of evidence on vitamin D and child neurodevelopment in the region.

Keywords:
Africachildrencognitive functionmotor functionvitamin D

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