Low maternal vitamin D may raise risk for ADHD in offspring

(HealthDay)—There is an association between low maternal vitamin D during early pregnancy and an elevated risk for offspring attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a study recently published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

Minna Sucksdorff, M.D., from University of Turku in Finland, and colleagues examined the association between maternal 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels in early pregnancy and offspring ADHD. The analysis included 1,067 ADHD cases born between 1998 and 1999 and 1,067 matched controls. First-trimester maternal 25(OH)D serum levels were assessed using quantitative immunoassay.

The researchers observed a significant association between decreasing log-transformed maternal 25(OH)D levels and offspring ADHD in unadjusted analyses (odds ratio [OR], 1.65) and in the analyses adjusting for maternal socioeconomic status and age (OR, 1.45). ADHD risk was higher for the lowest versus highest quintile of maternal 25(OH)D levels (adjusted OR, 1.53).

"If these findings are replicated, they may have public health implications for vitamin D supplementation and perhaps changing lifestyle behaviors during pregnancy to ensure optimal maternal vitamin D levels," the authors write.