Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the
most common problems faced by growing children, and a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child
& Adolescent Psychiatry has found that a Vitamin D deficiency in
pregnant mothers is one of the causes behind this.
In a study conducted by researchers from University of Turku, Finland, and
Columbia University, New York, it was found that children of mothers who had a
vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy faced a 34% higher risk of ADHD when
compared to children of mothers who had sufficient levels of the Vitamin during
the first and second trimesters.
In a study conducted by researchers from University of Turku, Finland, and Columbia University, New York, it was found that children of mothers who had a vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy faced a 34% higher risk of ADHD when compared to children of mothers who had sufficient levels of the Vitamin during the first and second trimesters.
The result is adjusted to accommodate factors like maternal age, socioeconomic state and psychiatric history.
According to Minna Sucksdorff from University of Turku, prenatal factors such as a lack of Vitamin D during pregnancy can influence the development of ADHD in children.
“Recent evidence has highlighted the importance of vitamin D in the development of the central nervous system. Some studies have shown an association between maternal vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy and offspring attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms based on parent or teacher ratings. There are no previous studies on early pregnancy 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels and the risk of diagnosed offspring ADHD. Our aim was to examine maternal 25(OH)D levels in early pregnancy and offspring ADHD,” writes one of the researchers.
This is the first population-level research that has found a connection between low maternal Vitamin D levels in early to mid-pregnancy and increases risk for ADHD in off-spring.
Data of around 1,067 children diagnosed with ADHD and born between 1998 and 1999 in Finland was analyzed and compared with the same number of matched controls.
Finland has now recommended an intake of 10 micrograms of Vitamin D per day for
pregnant women.
You can read the full study here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0890856719322324?via%3Dihub=
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