Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in mothers of Swedish and of Somali origin who have children with and without autism

• Published in: Acta Paediatrica 2010-05, Vol.99 (5), p.743-747
• Main Authors: Fernell, Elisabeth, Barnevik-Olsson, Martina, Bågenholm, Gunnel, Gillberg, Christopher, Gustafsson, Sven, Sääf, Maria
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 25-hydroxyvitamin D; Adult; Analogs & derivatives; Autism; Autistic Disorder; Autistic Disorder - ethnology; Autistic Disorder - etiology; Biological and medical sciences; Blood; Case-Control Studies; Child; Child clinical studies; Child, Preschool; Complications; Developmental disorders; Epidemiology; Ethnology; Etiology; Female; General aspects; Humans; Infantile autism; Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Medical sciences; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Preschool; Prevalence; Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psykiatri; Seasons; Somali population; Somalia; Somalia - ethnology; Sweden; Sweden - epidemiology; Vitamin D; Vitamin D - analogs & derivatives; Vitamin D - blood; Vitamin D Deficiency; Vitamin D Deficiency - complications; Vitamin D Deficiency - ethnology
• ISSN: 0803-5253; 1651-2227; 1651-2227
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2010.01755.x

Aim:  To analyse serum levels of 25‐hydroxyvitamin D in mothers of Somali origin and those of Swedish origin who have children with and without autism as there is a growing evidence that low vitamin D impacts adversely on brain development. Method:  Four groups of mothers were invited to participate; 20 with Somali origin with at least one child with autism, 20 with Somali origin without a child with autism, 20 of Swedish origin with at least one child with autism and 20 with Swedish origin without a child with autism. Two blood samples were collected from each individual; during autumn and spring. Results:  Between 12 and 17 mothers from the different groups accepted to participate, both groups of mothers of Somali origin had significantly lower values of 25‐hydroxyvitamin D compared with Swedish mothers. The difference of 25‐hydroxyvitamin D between mothers of Somali origin with and without a child with autism was not significant. Conclusion:  Our findings of low vitamin D levels in Somali women entail considerable consequences in a public health perspective. The observed tendency, i.e. the lowest values in mothers of Somali origin with a child with autism was in the predicted direction, supporting the need for further research of vitamin D levels in larger samples of Somali mothers of children with and without autism.