Blackmores Institute

Assessing the maternal vitamin D levels of serum samples from the Finnish Prenatal Study of ADHD from offspring born with ADHD between 1998 and 1999 and matched controls, the study found there was a significant association between decreasing log-transformed maternal 25(OH)D levels and increasing risk of offspring ADHD both in the unadjusted (odds ratio 1.65; 95% CI 1.33–2.05; p &lt;.001) and adjusted analyses (odds ratio 1.45; 95% CI 1.15–1.81; p 1⁄4 .002).
 
 “Our study is the first to demonstrate an association between low maternal 25(OH)D level in early to mid-pregnancy and an elevated risk for diagnosed ADHD in offspring in a large nationwide, population-based sample. The association was observed when vitamin D was analysed both as a linear variable and as a categorical variable. These findings are the strongest evidence to date of a link between developmental vitamin D deficiency and offspring ADHD.”
 
 The results of this latest study are in agreement with two earlier studies showing associations between lower maternal 25(OH)D levels in early pregnancy and higher levels of parent- or teacher-rated offspring ADHD symptoms.
 
 “There are biologically plausible explanations for the association between developmental vitamin D deficiency and an increased risk of offspring ADHD. Early pregnancy is a critical period for foetal brain development, which is a complex process influenced by the individual’s genotype and the in-utero environment,” the authors explained.
 
 “Low vitamin D levels result from inadequate sun exposure, low vitamin intake from diet and physiological risk factors such as obesity and skin colour. The present findings suggest that insufficient in-utero vitamin D may adversely influence foetal programming and expose the offspring to a sub-optimal environment resulting in possible ADHD.”
 
 “This is the first population-based study to demonstrate an association between low maternal vitamin D level in early to mid-pregnancy and an increased risk for ADHD diagnosis in offspring. If these findings are replicated, they may have public health implications for vitamin D supplementation and perhaps changing lifestyle behaviours during pregnancy to ensure optimal maternal vitamin D levels,” the authors concluded
 
 Source:
 J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2019. DOI: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2019.11.021">10.1016/j.jaac.2019.11.021</a>

Low levels of maternal vitamin D during pregnancy have been associated with an elevated risk for offspring attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry reports.

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