Birth cohort studies provide an invaluable resource for studies of the influence of the fetal environment on health in later life. It is uncertain to what extent maternal vitamin D status influences fetal development. Using an unselected community-based cohort of 901 mother-offspring pairs (the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort [Raine] Study), we examined the relationship between maternal vitamin D deficiency at 18 weeks’ pregnancy and long-term health outcomes of offspring who were born in Perth, Western Australia (32° South), in 1989–1991. Vitamin D deficiency (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] <50 nmol/L) was present in 36% (323 of 901) of the pregnant women. After adjusting for relevant covariates, maternal vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy was associated with impaired lung development in 6-year-old offspring, neurocognitive difficulties at age 10, increased risk of eating disorders in adolescence, and lower peak bone mass at 20 years. In summary, vitamin D may have an important, multifaceted role in the development of fetal lungs, brain, and bone. Experimental animal studies support an active contribution of vitamin D to organ development. Randomized controlled trials of vitamin D supplementation in pregnant women with long-term follow-up of offspring are urgently required to examine whether the correction of vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women is beneficial for their offspring and to determine the optimal level of maternal serum 25(OH)D for fetal development.
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January 2015
Special Article|
January 01 2015
Vitamin D in Fetal Development: Findings From a Birth Cohort Study
Prue H. Hart, PhD;
aTelethon Kids Institute,
Address correspondence to Dr Prue H. Hart, Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, PO Box 855, West Perth 6872, Australia. E-mail: Prue.Hart@telethonkids.org.au
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Robyn M. Lucas, MBChB;
Robyn M. Lucas, MBChB
aTelethon Kids Institute,
bCollege of Medicine, Biology and Environment, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia;
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John P. Walsh, MBBS;
John P. Walsh, MBBS
dSchool of Medicine and Pharmacology, and
cDepartment of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Australia; and
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Graeme R. Zosky, PhD;
Graeme R. Zosky, PhD
aTelethon Kids Institute,
eSchool of Medicine, Faculty of Health, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
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Andrew J.O. Whitehouse, PhD;
Andrew J.O. Whitehouse, PhD
aTelethon Kids Institute,
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Kun Zhu, PhD;
Kun Zhu, PhD
dSchool of Medicine and Pharmacology, and
cDepartment of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Australia; and
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Karina L. Allen, PhD;
Karina L. Allen, PhD
aTelethon Kids Institute,
fSchool of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia;
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Merci M. Kusel, MBBS;
Merci M. Kusel, MBBS
aTelethon Kids Institute,
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Denise Anderson, MBiostat;
Denise Anderson, MBiostat
aTelethon Kids Institute,
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Jenny A. Mountain, MBA
Jenny A. Mountain, MBA
aTelethon Kids Institute,
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Address correspondence to Dr Prue H. Hart, Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, PO Box 855, West Perth 6872, Australia. E-mail: Prue.Hart@telethonkids.org.au
FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: The authors have indicated they have no financial relationships relevant to this article to disclose.
Pediatrics (2015) 135 (1): e167–e173.
Article history
Accepted:
October 02 2014
Citation
Prue H. Hart, Robyn M. Lucas, John P. Walsh, Graeme R. Zosky, Andrew J.O. Whitehouse, Kun Zhu, Karina L. Allen, Merci M. Kusel, Denise Anderson, Jenny A. Mountain; Vitamin D in Fetal Development: Findings From a Birth Cohort Study. Pediatrics January 2015; 135 (1): e167–e173. 10.1542/peds.2014-1860
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