Neonatal Vitamin D Levels in Relation to Risk of Overweight at 7 Years in the Danish D-Tect Case-Cohort Study

Abstract

Background: Vitamin D level in pregnancy may be associated with risk of overweight in the offspring later in life. Methods: In a case-cohort study based on Danish biobanks and registers we examined the association between 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25(OH)D) level at birth and overweight at 7 years. Cases of overweight (n = 871) were randomly selected among 7-year-old children from the Copenhagen School Health Records Register (CSHRR) with a BMI above the 90th percentile. The cohort (n = 1,311) was a random sample selected among all Danish children born during the same period. Neonatal 25(OH)D was measured in dried blood spots. Results: 25(OH)D₃ exhibited the expected seasonal variation. Median level of 25(OH)D₃ was 20.6 (11.9-33.3) nmol/l in the overweight group and 23.4 (13.5-34.3) nmol/l in the cohort. We found no association between neonatal 25(OH)D₃ level and risk of overweight at age 7 years, neither in the crude model (OR (CI) 1.00 (0.99; 1.00)) nor in a model adjusted for maternal ethnicity, educational level, civil status, parity, season and year of birth, and offspring ponderal index (OR (CI) 1.00 (0.99; 1.01)). Conclusion: Risk of overweight at 7 years of age was not associated with vitamin D level at birth.

Concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D from neonatal dried blood spots and the relation to gestational age, birth weight and Ponderal Index: the D-tect study

“…On the other hand, two recent cohort studies did not find any association between umbilical cord blood or maternal 25(OH)D concentrations and neonatal anthropometric measures such as birth weight and Ponderal Index ( 10 , 11 ) . Other studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of macrosomia and postnatal overweight ( 12 ) , as well as increased fat mass at ages 4 and 6 years ( 13 ) , whereas a recent study did not find any association between 25(OH)D concentration at birth and the risk of overweight at the age of 7 years ( 14 ) .…”

Compounding vulnerabilities: Syndemics and the social determinants of disease in the past

“…In addition to skeletal rickets, infants with vitamin D deficiency have risk for seizures and convulsions (tetany), delayed motor skills, hyperparathyroidism, underdeveloped musculature, anemia, and even cardiomyopathy or failure (see Pettifor et al, 2018). Longer term effects of infant deficiency in vitamin D include impaired immune functioning, persistent hyperparathyroidism, reduced kidney functioning, inhibited expression of vitamin D receptors (VDRs), and an increased risk of Types 1 and 2 diabetes, obesity, some cancers, neurological and behavioral disorders, cardiovascular diseases, or multiple sclerosis (Hollis and Wagner, 2017;Ideraabdullah et al, 2019;Jensen et al, 2017;Lucas et al, 2008;Pettifor et al, 2018;Reichetzeder et al, 2014). Some infants whose mothers were vitamin D deficient during pregnancy may not experience its impacts until well after birth.…”

Pathogenetic role of vitamin D deficiency in the development of menstrual dysfunction in pubertal girls: a literature review

“…According to the numerous studies, nowadays the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in different countries accounts for at least 50% [5]. Taking into consideration that human body produces vitamin D only when UV rays heat the skin, deficit conditions are prevalent especially in countries with few sunny days.…”