Maternal vitamin D levels linked to infant development

British Journal of Nutrition doi:10.1017/S0007114517001398

Low levels of maternal vitamin D during pregnancy may undermine motor and social development in children less than 4 years of age, according to a new analysis of 7065 mother-child pairs in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children.

Median serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, the main circulating form of vitamin D, were 54.9, 59.3 and 65.3 nmol/l during the first, second and third trimesters respectively. Most measurements were taken during the first (26.1%) and third trimesters (62.1%). One‑third (34.6%) of women were deficient in vitamin D (serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D less than 50.0 nmol/l). Women with 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations of at least 50.0 nmol/l were more likely to be white, older and have higher socio-economic status than those with lower levels.