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Low-grade inflammation from prenatal period to age 6-8 years in a Vitamin D trial
Helena H Hauta-Alus1,2,3,4, Jenni Rosendahl5,6, Elisa M Holmlund-Suila5,6
1Children's Hospital, Pediatric Research Center, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland. helena.hauta-alus@helsinki.fi.
Insights
Childhood inflammation, measured by high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), persists from birth to age 8. Higher vitamin D levels, not dose, correlated with increased hs-CRP in children, suggesting early inflammation impacts long-term health.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Inflammation Biomarkers
- Nutritional Immunology
Background:
- Low-grade systemic inflammation, indicated by high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), is linked to non-communicable disease risk.
- Prenatal inflammation and early-childhood vitamin D status may influence persistent inflammation in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between prenatal inflammation and early-childhood vitamin D levels with inflammation markers until age 6-8 years.
- To determine the persistence of inflammation from birth through early childhood.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of blood hs-CRP and 25-hydroxy vitamin D [25(OH)D] in pregnant women, umbilical cord blood (UCB), and offspring at ages 1, 2, and 6-8 years.
- Utilized data from the Vitamin D Intervention in Infants (VIDI) randomized-controlled trial, including vitamin D supplementation arms.
Main Results:
- Higher UCB hs-CRP was independently associated with elevated hs-CRP levels persisting until age 6-8 years.
- Infant vitamin D supplementation dose did not impact longitudinal hs-CRP levels.
- Increased childhood 25(OH)D concentrations showed a positive association with hs-CRP up to age 6-8 years.
Conclusions:
- Childhood inflammation, assessed by hs-CRP, demonstrates persistence from birth to age 8.
- A positive association exists between vitamin D sufficiency and hs-CRP levels in children.
- Chronic disease risk stemming from inflammation may originate in the prenatal period or early childhood.
Background:
Low-grade systemic inflammation measured as high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) has been associated with non-communicable disease risk. We assessed whether prenatal inflammation and early-childhood vitamin D are associated with inflammation until age 6-8.
Methods:
We analyzed blood hs-CRP and 25-hydroxy vitamin D [25(OH)D] in pregnancy, at birth from umbilical cord blood (UCB), from offspring at ages 1, 2, and 6-8 years in the Vitamin D Intervention in Infants (VIDI) study. VIDI was a randomized-controlled trial of vitamin D supplementation of 10 μg/day or 30 μg/day from age 2 weeks until 2 years in 975 infants recruited in 2013-14, with follow-up at age 6-8 in 2019-21 (n = 283).
Results:
Pregnancy hs-CRP was associated with UCB hs-CRP (r = 0.18, p < 0.001) but not independently with childhood hs-CRP (Estimate [95% CI] 0.04 [<-0.00, 0.09]). Higher UCB hs-CRP was associated independently with higher hs-CRP until 6-8 years (0.20 [0.12, 0.29]). Infant vitamin D dose had no effect on longitudinal hs-CRP (6-8 years, 0.11 [-0.04, 0.25]). Childhood 25(OH)D were associated positively with hs-CRP until age 6-8 (0.01 [>0.00, 0.01]).
Conclusion:
Our results indicate that in children, inflammation, assessed by hs-CRP, persists from birth until 6-8 years. We observed positive associations between 25(OH)D and hs-CRP in vitamin D-sufficient children.
Impact:
High sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) concentrations tract from birth to age 8 years Our novel finding suggests a long-lasting pro-inflammatory phenotype in the child Higher vitamin D concentration - but not dose - is associated with higher childhood hs-CRP Chronic disease risk related to inflammation may in part originate from the prenatal period or early childhood Further studies are needed to investigate the effects of inflammation on long-term clinical health outcomes.
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