Maternal vitamin D status affects bone growth in early childhood-a prospective cohort study.
Osteoporos Int. 2010 Dec 10.
Viljakainen HT, Korhonen T, Hytinantti T, Laitinen EK, Andersson S, Mäkitie O, Lamberg-Allardt C.
Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Tukholmankatu 2C, PO Box 705, 00029, Helsinki, Finland, heli.viljakainen at helsinki.fi.
In this prospective study, 87 children were followed up from birth to 14 months with data on maternal vitamin D status during the pregnancy. Postnatal vitamin D supplementation improved vitamin D status but only partly eliminated the differences in bone variables induced by maternal vitamin D status during the fetal period.
INTRODUCTION: Intrauterine nutritional deficits may have permanent consequences despite improved nutritional status postnatally. We evaluated the role of prenatal and postnatal vitamin D status on bone parameters in early infancy.
METHODS: Eighty-seven children were followed from birth to 14 months. Background data were collected with a questionnaire and a 3-day food record. At 14 months bone variables were measured with peripheral computed tomography (pQCT) from the left tibia. Serum 25-OHD and bone turnover markers were determined. Findings were compared with maternal vitamin D status during pregnancy.
RESULTS: The children were divided into two groups based on vitamin D status during pregnancy. Despite discrepant S-25-OHD at baseline (median 36.3 vs. 52.5 nmol/l, p?<?0.001), the values at 14 months were similar (63 vs. 66 nmol/l, p?=?0.58) in Low D and High D. Serum 25-OHD increased more in Low D (p?<?0.001) despite similar total intake of vitamin D (mean 12.3 ?g/day). In Low D, tibial bone mineral content (BMC) was lower at birth but BMC gain was greater (multivariate analysis of variance [MANOVA]; p?=?0.032) resulting in similar BMC at 14 months in the two groups. In High D, tibial total bone cross-sectional area was higher at baseline; the difference persisted at 14 months (MANOVA; p?=?0.068). Bone mineral density (BMD) and ?BMD were similar in the two groups.
CONCLUSIONS: Postnatal vitamin D supplementation improved vitamin D status but only partly eliminated the differences in bone variables induced by maternal vitamin D status during the fetal period. Further attention should be paid to improving vitamin D status during pregnancy. PMID: 21153404