The relationship between maternal serum vitamin D levels and infant neurodevelopment and anthropometry: A prospective observational study

Abstract

This study was designed to determine whether there is a relationship between serum vitamin D levels and neurodevelopment and anthropometry in Chinese infants. A prospective cohort study with 160 women who gave birth to 160 healthy full-term infants and who were followed up for 6 mo was done. It included 80 pregnant women with vitamin D deficiency, and the other 80 pregnant women were enrolled matching the age and delivery method with a 25(OH)D level of more than 50 nmol/L. There was a significant intergroup difference in length, weight or head circumference at birth (p<0.05). Meanwhile, there was a significant intergroup difference in cognitive development and achievement at 6 mo (p<0.001). In multivariate analyses, maternal 25(OH)D levels less than 50 nmol/L were independently associated with a higher tendency for a low Bayley mental score (MDI) at 6 mo (OR=2.77, 95% CI: 1.44–5.35, p=0.002), as well as Bayley motor score (PDI) (OR=2.08, 95% CI: 1.07–4.04, p=0.032). Thus we observed that maternal vitamin D was associated with infant neurodevelopment and anthropometry.