Prenatal vitamin D levels and infant cognitive, motor, language and social-emotional development at 6 and 9 months of age

• Published in: Nutritional neuroscience 2024-06, p.1-10
• Main Authors: Shekhawat, Dolat Singh, Singh, Kuldeep, Singh, Pratibha, Vyas, Varuna, Varthya, Shoban Babu, Sharma, Praveen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1028-415X; 1476-8305; 1476-8305
• DOI: 10.1080/1028415X.2024.2366649

Vitamin D is involved in several processes related to the development of neuronal and non-neuronal cells. There is a possible link between maternal vitamin D status in pregnancy and delayed neurocognitive development in the offspring. The aim of the study was to explore the association of maternal and cord blood vitamin D levels with infants' neurodevelopment at 6 and 9 months of age. A cohort study was conducted in western Rajasthan, India. Maternal and cord blood samples were collected at the time of delivery. Serum 25(OH)-vitamin D levels were measured in both. Infant neurodevelopment was assessed at 6 and 9 months of age in six domains namely cognitive, receptive language, expressive language, fine motor, gross motor and social-emotional using the Bayley Scale of Infant Development- III (BSID-III). A total of 175 mother-child pairs were enrolled. Among the mothers taking part in this study, 7.3% had deficient and 59.09% had insufficient levels of serum 25(OH) vitamin D during the third trimester of their pregnancy. Maternal and cord blood serum 25-OH vitamin D levels were 18.86 ± 8.53 ng/mL and 17.39 ± 8.87 ng/mL, respectively, and there was a significant correlation (r = 0.9778,  = 0.000) between levels of vitamin D. Based on the repeated measures ANOVA, post hoc Tukey's HSD test, maternal vitamin D levels had a significant relationship (  = 0.047) to the cognitive development of infants at 6 months of age. Furthermore, cord serum vitamin D levels showed a significant association (  = 0.023 and  = 0.010) with the social-emotional development of the infant at the age of 6 and 9 months. Maternal and cord serum 25-OH vitamin D deficiency was significantly associated with the cognitive and social-emotional development of infants.