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Early pregnancy vitamin D status is associated with blood pressure in children: an Odense Child Cohort study
Josefine N Pedersen1,2, Christine Dalgård1,3, Sören Möller1,4
1Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
Insights
Maternal vitamin D levels in early pregnancy are linked to lower blood pressure in children. Optimal vitamin D status during gestation may protect offspring from developing high blood pressure.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Nutritional Science
- Cardiovascular Health
Background:
- Childhood blood pressure tracks into adulthood.
- Adult vitamin D status correlates with blood pressure.
- The influence of prenatal and childhood vitamin D on blood pressure requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if fetal vitamin D status, rather than current status, is associated with blood pressure in children.
- To investigate the association between maternal and cord blood vitamin D levels and offspring blood pressure.
Main Methods:
- Prospective observational study in the Odense Child Cohort (n=1,677).
- Measured serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D2+3 [s-25(OH)D] in early/late pregnancy, cord blood, and at 5 years.
- Analyzed associations with systolic/diastolic blood pressure (SBP/DBP) at age 5 using multiple regression and two-stage mixed effect modeling.
Main Results:
- Higher s-25(OH)D in early pregnancy correlated with lower 5-year SBP/DBP.
- Optimal early pregnancy s-25(OH)D (>75 nmol/L) was linked to reduced offspring SBP/DBP.
- Combined prenatal and cord blood vitamin D showed inverse associations with SBP/DBP in boys, with a significant sex-difference for DBP.
Conclusions:
- Early pregnancy vitamin D status, particularly levels >75 nmol/L, is inversely associated with offspring blood pressure at age 5.
- Optimal maternal vitamin D in early pregnancy may offer a protective effect on offspring blood pressure.
- This suggests a potential role for vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy to support cardiovascular health in children.
Background:
Blood pressure in childhood tracks into later life. Vitamin D status in adults is associated with blood pressure, but the impact of vitamin D status in pregnancy and childhood on blood pressure still needs investigation.
Objective:
We investigated whether fetal rather than current vitamin D status is associated with blood pressure in children.
Methods:
In a prospective observational study within the population-based Odense Child Cohort (OCC), we examined serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D2+3 [s-25(OH)D] in early and late pregnancy, cord blood, and at 5 y age, and the associations with systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP/DBP) in the 5-y-old children (n = 1,677). Multiple regression models were adjusted for maternal country of origin, parity, smoking during pregnancy, 5-y height, and weight. Two-stage mixed effect modeling was performed, integrating all s-25(OH)D data from pregnancy and cord blood.
Results:
The median (IQR) s-25(OH)D in early pregnancy, late pregnancy, the umbilical cord, and at 5 y was 65.5 (50.7-78.5), 78.5 (60.3- 95.8), 45.4 (31.1- 60.7), and 71.9 (54.6- 86.5) nmol/L, respectively. The mean ±SD 5-y SBP/DBP was 101.0/63.8 (7.1/5.9) mmHg. In adjusted analyses, a 10 nmol/L increase of s-25(OH)D in early pregnancy associated with a 0.3/0.2 mmHg lower SBP/DBP at 5 y (P < 0.05). Optimal s-25(OH)D (>75 nmol/L) in early pregnancy was associated with lower 5-y SBP and DBP, β (95% CI) -1.45 (-2.6, -0.3), and -0.97 (-1.9, -0.1), compared with reference s-25(OH)D (50-74.9 nmol/L). Two-stage analysis combining early pregnancy, late pregnancy, and cord s-25(OH)D data showed an inverse association with 5-y SBP and DBP for boys (P < 0.025) with significant sex-difference for DBP (Pinteraction = 0.004). No associations were found between s-25(OH)D and 5-y BP above the 90th percentile.
Conclusion:
Early pregnancy s-25(OH)D concentrations, especially >75 nmol/L, were inversely associated with 5-y blood pressure in the offspring. A novel identified protective effect of optimal vitamin D levels in early pregnancy on offspring BP is suggested.
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