Effect of Vitamin D Status during Pregnancy on Infant Neurodevelopment: The ECLIPSES Study
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Research Group in Nutrition and Mental Health (NUTRISAM), Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43204 Reus, Spain
2
Research Center for Behavior Assessment (CRAMC), Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43002 Tarragona, Spain
3
Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV), 43007 Reus, Spain
4
Laboratory ICS Tarragona, University Hospital of Tarragona Joan XXIII, Catalan Institute of Health (ICS), 43005 Tarragona, Spain
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Collaborative Research Group on Lifestyles, Nutrition and Smoking (CENIT), Jordi Gol Primary Care Research Institute (IDIAPJGol), Camí de Riudoms 53-55, 43202 Reus, Spain
6
Jordi Gol Primary Care Research Institute (IDIAPJGol), Camí de Riudoms 53-55, 43202 Reus, Spain
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Nutrients 2020, 12(10), 3196; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12103196
Received: 24 September 2020
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Revised: 11 October 2020
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Accepted: 14 October 2020
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Published: 19 October 2020
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effect of Maternal Nutrition on Cognitive Function of Children)
Vitamin D status during pregnancy is involved in numerous physiological processes, including brain development. In this study, we assess the association between vitamin D status during pregnancy and infant neurodevelopment (cognitive, language, and motor skills). From an initial sample of 793 women (mean age 30.6) recruited before the 12th week of pregnancy, 422 mother–infant pairs were followed up to a postpartum visit. Vitamin D levels were assessed in the first and third trimesters of pregnancy, and socio-demographic, nutritional, and psychological variables were collected. At 40 days postpartum, the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-III were administered to the infants and several obstetrical data were recorded. Independently from several confounding factors, deficient vitamin D levels in the first trimester of pregnancy (<30 nmol/L) predicted a worse performance in cognitive and language skills. Language performance worsened with lower vitamin D levels (<20 nmol/L). In the third trimester, this highly deficient level was also associated with lower motor skills. Vitamin D deficiency was therefore associated with worse neurodevelopmental outcomes. More studies are needed to determine specific recommendations with regard to vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy in order to promote an optimal course for pregnancy and optimal infant neurodevelopment.
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Keywords:
vitamin D; pregnancy; prenatal nutrition; neurodevelopment; infant
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MDPI and ACS Style
Voltas, N.; Canals, J.; Hernández-Martínez, C.; Serrat, N.; Basora, J.; Arija, V. Effect of Vitamin D Status during Pregnancy on Infant Neurodevelopment: The ECLIPSES Study. Nutrients 2020, 12, 3196. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12103196
AMA Style
Voltas N, Canals J, Hernández-Martínez C, Serrat N, Basora J, Arija V. Effect of Vitamin D Status during Pregnancy on Infant Neurodevelopment: The ECLIPSES Study. Nutrients. 2020; 12(10):3196. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12103196
Chicago/Turabian StyleVoltas, Núria, Josefa Canals, Carmen Hernández-Martínez, Núria Serrat, Josep Basora, and Victoria Arija. 2020. "Effect of Vitamin D Status during Pregnancy on Infant Neurodevelopment: The ECLIPSES Study" Nutrients 12, no. 10: 3196. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12103196
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