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Updated: Aug 17, 2025

Author Spotlight: Studying the Impact of Maternal Dietary Deficiencies on Long-Term Offspring Health Outcomes
03:19

Author Spotlight: Studying the Impact of Maternal Dietary Deficiencies on Long-Term Offspring Health Outcomes

Published on: June 28, 2024

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Effect of umbilical cord essential and toxic elements, thyroid levels, and Vitamin D on childhood development

Jesse Cottrell1, Chelsea Nelson2, Catherine Waldron2

  • 1Marshall University,Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 1600 Medical Center Drive, Huntington, WV 25701, USA.

Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & Pharmacotherapie
|December 12, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Prenatal exposure to certain elements and vitamins in umbilical cord blood is linked to childhood development. These findings highlight the importance of the in-utero environment for healthy child development.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Toxicology

Background:

  • The prenatal environment significantly influences childhood development.
  • Prenatal exposure to inorganic agents, thyroid hormones, and Vitamin D may impact developmental trajectories.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the associations between prenatal levels of inorganic elements, thyroid hormones, and Vitamin D with various aspects of childhood development.
  • To identify potential environmental and nutritional factors affecting developmental milestones from birth to five years.

Main Methods:

  • Umbilical cord blood samples were collected and analyzed for 20 elements, thyroid function, and Vitamin D levels.
  • A retrospective review of well-child examinations for 60 children from birth to 5 years old was conducted.

Main Results:

  • Significant associations were found between prenatal calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, lead, and mercury levels and developmental milestones including BMI, language, fine and gross motor skills, and cognitive function.
  • Thyroid hormones (free T3, T3 uptake, total T4, free T4) showed associations with cognitive and physical milestones.
  • Vitamin D levels were associated with a delay in fine motor development.

Conclusions:

  • Multiple associations exist between essential and toxic elements, thyroid hormone levels, and Vitamin D in umbilical cord blood and subsequent childhood development.
  • These findings underscore the critical role of the prenatal environment in shaping developmental outcomes.
Abstract

Keywords:
Child developmentMetalsThyroidUmbilical cordVitamin D

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