Vitamin D In Pregnancy Protects Children's Bones
January 10th 2006
Pregnant women can reduce the risk of their children sustaining bone fractures, a new study suggests. 
It found that the mothers of children with weaker bones were lacking in vitamin D while they were pregnant. Vitamin D is needed for bone development during childhood, yet women of childbearing age are often deficient.
A study was undertaken by Professor Cyrus Cooper of the MRC Epidemiology Resource Centre, Southampton General Hospital, UK, and colleagues. They analysed data on 198 children born in 1991 and 92 and compared it with the vitamin D status of their mothers during pregnancy.
The researchers measured the body size and bone mass of the children at nine years of age. They found that children whose mothers were lacking in vitamin D had weaker bones and a higher fracture risk.
According to Professor Cooper: "These findings provide evidence that maternal vitamin D status during pregnancy influences the bone growth of the offspring, and their risk of osteoporosis in later life.
"The results add to a large body of evidence that intrauterine and early postnatal development contributes to bone mineral accrual and thereby osteoporosis risk; they also point to preventive strategies which now require evaluation in randomised controlled trials."
In this week’s issue of The Lancet the team write: "Vitamin D supplementation of pregnant women, especially during winter months, could lead to long-lasting reductions in the risk of osteoporotic fracture in their offspring."
Vitamin D status can be improved though diet (oily fish and eggs), supplementation, and sunlight, which enables the body to make vitamin D in the skin.
Lancet 2006; 367: 36-43
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