Better neurodevelpment at age 2 if high Vitamin D during all phases of pregnancy – March 2023

Maternal and neonatal blood vitamin D status and neurodevelopment at 24 months of age: a prospective birth cohort study

World J Pediatr . 2023 Mar 27. doi: 10.1007/s12519-022-00682-7
Yue Zhang 1, Chun-Yan Zhou 2, Xi-Rui Wang 1, Xian-Ting Jiao 3, Jun Zhang 3, Ying Tian 3, Luan-Luan Li 1, Chen Chen 1, Xiao-Dan Yu 4 5

Background: This study aimed to explore the relationship of 25-hydroxyvitamin D 25(OH)D in three trimesters and at birth with neurodevelopment at 24 months of age.

Methods: From 2013 to 2016, pregnant women from the Shanghai Birth Cohort in China were recruited for the study. Altogether, 649 mother-infant pairs were included. Serum 25(OH)D was measured with mass spectrometry in three trimesters, and cord blood was divided into deficiency (< 20 and < 12 ng/mL, respectively), insufficiency (20-30 and 12-20 ng/mL, respectively), and sufficiency (= 30 and = 20 ng/mL, respectively). Bayley-III scale was used to assess cognitive, language, motor, social-emotional, and adaptive behavior development at 24 months of age. The Bayley-III scores were grouped into quartiles, and scores within the lowest quartile were defined as suboptimal development.

Results: After adjusting for confounding factors, cord blood 25(OH)D in the sufficient group was positively correlated with cognitive [ߠ= 11.43, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 5.65-17.22], language (ߠ= 6.01, 95% CI = 1.67-10.3), and motor scores (ߠ= 6.43, 95% CI = 1.73-11.1); cord blood 25(OH)D in the insufficient group was also positively correlated with cognitive scores (ߠ= 9.42, 95% CI = 3.74-15.11). Additionally, sufficient vitamin D status in the four periods and persistent 25(OH)D = 30 ng/mL throughout pregnancy were associated with a lower risk of suboptimal cognitive development in adjusted models, although the effects were attenuated after applying the false discovery rate adjustment.

Conclusions: Cord blood 25(OH)D = 12 ng/mL has a significant positive association with cognitive, language, and motor development at 24 months of age. Sufficient vitamin D status in pregnancy might be a protective factor for suboptimal neurocognition development at 24 months of age.
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Central Nervous System develops during all phases of pregnancy

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