Vitamin D in the General Population of Young Adults with Autism in the Faroe Islands

• Published in: Journal of autism and developmental disorders 2014-12, Vol.44 (12), p.2996-3005
• Main Authors: Kočovská, Eva, Andorsdóttir, Guðrið, Weihe, Pál, Halling, Jónrit, Fernell, Elisabeth, Stóra, Tormóður, Biskupstø, Rannvá, Gillberg, I. Carina, Shea, Robyn, Billstedt, Eva, Bourgeron, Thomas, Minnis, Helen, Gillberg, Christopher
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescents; Age Differences; Alfacalcidol; At Risk Persons; Autism; Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule; Autism Spectrum Disorders; Autistic Disorder; Autistic Disorder - blood; Autistic Disorder - diagnosis; Autistic Disorder - epidemiology; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Biological and medical sciences; Brain; Calcifediol; Child and School Psychology; Child clinical studies; Cognitive science; Cohort Studies; Comparative Analysis; Control Groups; Cross-Sectional Studies; Denmark; Denmark - epidemiology; Developmental disorders; Female; Food and nutrition; Foreign Countries; Gender Differences; Genetics; Health aspects; Hospitals; Human health and pathology; Humans; Individualized Instruction; Infantile autism; Intelligence Quotient; Life Sciences; Male; Medical sciences; Metabolism; Mothers; Neurosciences; Nutrition; Original Paper; Parents; Pediatrics; Pervasive Developmental Disorders; Population Surveillance; Population Surveillance - methods; Psychiatrics and mental health; Psychiatry; Psychological aspects; Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psykiatri; Public Health; Risk Factors; Scores; Siblings; Symptoms (Individual Disorders); Vitamin D; Vitamin D - blood; Vitamin D Deficiency; Vitamin D Deficiency - blood; Vitamin D Deficiency - diagnosis; Vitamin D Deficiency - epidemiology; Young Adult; Young Adults
• ISSN: 0162-3257; 1573-3432; 1573-3432
• DOI: 10.1007/s10803-014-2155-1

Vitamin D deficiency has been proposed as a possible risk factor for developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD). 25-Hydroxyvitamin D 3 (25(OH)D 3 ) levels were examined in a cross-sectional population-based study in the Faroe Islands. The case group consisting of a total population cohort of 40 individuals with ASD (aged 15–24 years) had significantly lower 25(OH)D 3 than their 62 typically-developing siblings and their 77 parents, and also significantly lower than 40 healthy age and gender matched comparisons. There was a trend for males having lower 25(OH)D 3 than females. Effects of age, month/season of birth, IQ, various subcategories of ASD and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule score were also investigated, however, no association was found. The very low 25(OH)D 3 in the ASD group suggests some underlying pathogenic mechanism.