Deficiency may be linked to behaviour issues

Mothers who had low vitamin D levels while they were pregnant are more likely to have a child with a language impairment than mothers who had higher levels of the vitamin, scientists have found.

Although a study, published in the journal Pediatrics, did not show that low levels of the vitamin itself caused the issues, researchers said it pointed to a “plausible association”.

Earlier studies had shown some links between low vitamin D during pregnancy and problems in children such as weaker bones, asthma and poor growth, said Andrew Whitehouse, lead author of the study, who was based at the University of Western Australia.

“The effects of lower maternal vitamin D levels on the developing offspring is not fully understood,” he added.

Twenty years ago researchers measured the vitamin D levels of more than 700 women halfway through their pregnancy, seeking to determine whether levels of the vitamin might have anything to do with children’s later behavioural.

Five and 10 years on, they tested the children born to these mothers to measure behavioural, emotional development, and language skills.