Research

17 pages, 6441 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Maternal Vitamin D Status Correlates to Leukocyte Antigenic Responses in Breastfeeding Infants

by Danforth A. Newton, John E. Baatz, Katherine E. Chetta, Preston W. Walker, Reneé O. Washington, Judy R. Shary and Carol L. Wagner

Nutrients 2022, 14(6), 1266; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu14061266 - 17 Mar 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2391

Abstract

It is unknown if vitamin D (vitD) sufficiency in breastfeeding mothers can lead to physiological outcomes for their children that are discernible from infant vitD sufficiency per se. In a 3-month, randomized vitD supplementation study of mothers and their exclusively breastfeeding infants, the [...] Read more.

It is unknown if vitamin D (vitD) sufficiency in breastfeeding mothers can lead to physiological outcomes for their children that are discernible from infant vitD sufficiency per se. In a 3-month, randomized vitD supplementation study of mothers and their exclusively breastfeeding infants, the effects of maternal vitD sufficiency were determined on infant plasma concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (i.e., vitD status) and 11 cytokines. An inverse correlation was seen between maternal vitD status and infant plasma TNF concentration (r = −0.27; p < 0.05). Infant whole blood was also subjected to in vitro antigenic stimulation. TNF, IFNγ, IL-4, IL-13, and TGFβ1 responses by infant leukocytes were significantly higher if mothers were vitD sufficient but were not as closely correlated to infants’ own vitD status. Conversely, IL-10 and IL-12 responses after antigenic challenge were more correlated to infant vitD status. These data are consistent with vitD-mediated changes in breast milk composition providing immunological signaling to breastfeeding infants and indicate differential physiological effects of direct-infant versus maternal vitD supplementation. Thus, consistent with many previous studies that focused on the importance of vitD sufficiency during pregnancy, maintenance of maternal sufficiency likely continues to affect the health of breastfed infants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effect of Vitamin D during Pregnancy on Maternal, Neonatal and Child Outcomes)

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13 pages, 307 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Interplay between Maternal and Neonatal Vitamin D Deficiency and Vitamin-D-Related Gene Polymorphism with Neonatal Birth Anthropometry

by Siew Siew Lee, King Hwa Ling, Maiza Tusimin, Raman Subramaniam, Kartini Farah Rahim and Su Peng Loh

Nutrients 2022, 14(3), 564; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu14030564 - 27 Jan 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2694

Abstract

Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy has been associated with poor foetal growth and neonatal birth anthropometry. However, the associations were inconsistent and could be confounded by neonatal vitamin D status and genetic factors. Until recently, limited studies have concomitantly examined the effect of [...] Read more.

Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy has been associated with poor foetal growth and neonatal birth anthropometry. However, the associations were inconsistent and could be confounded by neonatal vitamin D status and genetic factors. Until recently, limited studies have concomitantly examined the effect of maternal and neonatal vitamin D deficiency and vitamin D-related single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on neonatal birth anthropometry. This study aims to examine the independent and combined effects of maternal and neonatal vitamin D deficiency and vitamin-D-related SNPs on neonatal birth anthropometry. This cross-sectional study included 217 mother–neonate dyads recruited from Hospital Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia, between 2015 and 2017. Plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) concentration was measured in maternal and umbilical cord blood using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC). Maternal and neonatal vitamin D Receptor (VDR) SNP (rs2228570) genotypes were determined using high-resolution melting (HRM). Group-specific component (GC) SNPs (rs4588 and rs7041) genotypes were determined using restriction fragment length polymorphism. Our results showed that: (1) maternal vitamin D deficiency (25OHD < 30 nmol/L) was inversely associated with birth weight, head circumference and crown–heel length; (2) neonatal SNPs, VDR rs2228570 and GC rs4588, were significantly associated with birth weight and head circumference, respectively; and (3) a potential interaction was observed between maternal VDR rs2228570 with maternal vitamin D deficiency on head circumference. These findings suggest that the underlying mechanisms of vitamin D on foetal growth are likely to be localised in the maternal compartment, mediated through the placenta, rather than through cellular mechanisms within the foetus. Further large-scale studies are warranted to validate and extend these findings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effect of Vitamin D during Pregnancy on Maternal, Neonatal and Child Outcomes)

12 pages, 326 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Vitamin D Status during Pregnancy versus the Anthropometric Parameters of Two- and Four-Year-Olds: A Pilot Study

by Regina Ewa Wierzejska and Barbara Katarzyna Wojda

Nutrients 2022, 14(2), 254; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu14020254 - 07 Jan 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1636

Abstract

Apart from being associated with a well-documented risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes, maternal deficiency of vitamin D may also negatively affect the physical development of their children. The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between maternal as well as umbilical [...] Read more.

Apart from being associated with a well-documented risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes, maternal deficiency of vitamin D may also negatively affect the physical development of their children. The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between maternal as well as umbilical cord blood levels of vitamin D and the weight and height values of two- and four-year-olds. The study was conducted in a group of 52 ‘mother–child’ pairs. On the day of the delivery, total 25(OH)D concentration in blood was measured using immunological tests (LIAISON). Weight and height values were obtained from the database of routine health checks for children aged two and four, which are obligatory in Poland. Multiple regression analysis was used for statistical analysis. No association was detected between maternal-neonatal concentrations of vitamin D and weight and height values of the investigated two- and four-year-olds despite extreme differences in maternal (4.0–37.7 ng/mL) and neonatal (5.9–46.6 ng/mL) concentrations and the fact that vitamin D deficiency was detected in almost 54% of the mothers and 37% of the newborns. Therefore, no relationship between maternal-fetal vitamin D concentrations and the anthropometric parameters of the investigated children up to the age of four was found. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effect of Vitamin D during Pregnancy on Maternal, Neonatal and Child Outcomes)

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10 pages, 3057 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Vitamin D Deficiency and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in Relation to Body Mass Index

by Nuria Agüero-Domenech, Silvia Jover, Ana Sarrión, Javier Baranda, José A. Quesada-Rico, Avelino Pereira-Expósito, Vicente Gil-Guillén, Ernesto Cortés-Castell and María J. García-Teruel

Nutrients 2022, 14(1), 102; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu14010102 - 27 Dec 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3483

Abstract

A relationship between vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has been described. Considering that GDM prevalence depends on body mass index (BMI), our main objective was to determine if VDD is associated with GDM, independent of BMI. A cross-sectional study [...] Read more.

A relationship between vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has been described. Considering that GDM prevalence depends on body mass index (BMI), our main objective was to determine if VDD is associated with GDM, independent of BMI. A cross-sectional study with 886 pregnant women was conducted in Elda (Spain) from September 2019 to June 2020. To assess the association, Poisson regression models with robust variance were used to estimate the prevalence ratio (PR). The observed GDM prevalence was 10.5%, while the VDD prevalence was 55.5%. In the crude model, both VDD and obesity were associated with GDM, but in the adjusted model, only VDD was statistically significant (PR = 1.635, p = 0.038). A secondary event analysis did not detect differences in VDD, but BMI yielded a higher frequency of births by cesarean section and newborns with a >90 percentile weight in the obesity group. In conclusion, VDD is associated with GDM, independent of BMI. Future longitudinal studies could provide information on causality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effect of Vitamin D during Pregnancy on Maternal, Neonatal and Child Outcomes)

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Graphical abstract

9 pages, 697 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Associations of 25 Hydroxyvitamin D and High Sensitivity C-reactive Protein Levels in Early Life

by Nicklas Brustad, Nadia R. Fink, Jakob Stokholm, Klaus Bønnelykke, Nilofar V. Følsgaard, David Hougaard, Susanne Brix, Jessica Lasky-Su, Scott T. Weiss and Bo Chawes

Nutrients 2022, 14(1), 15; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu14010015 - 21 Dec 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2542

Abstract

Vitamin D deficiency and elevated high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) have been associated with several health outcomes, but knowledge on early life trajectories and association between 25 hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and hs-CRP is lacking. We investigated the association between longitudinal measurements of 25(OH)D [...] Read more.

Vitamin D deficiency and elevated high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) have been associated with several health outcomes, but knowledge on early life trajectories and association between 25 hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and hs-CRP is lacking. We investigated the association between longitudinal measurements of 25(OH)D and hs-CRP, respectively, from pregnancy to childhood and throughout childhood in two Danish mother–child cohorts—the COPSAC₂₀₁₀ and COPSAC₂₀₀₀. In COPSAC₂₀₁₀, there was an association between 25(OH)D concentrations at week 24 in pregnancy and at age 6 months in childhood (n = 633): estimate (95% CI); 0.114 (0.041;0.187), p = 0.002, and between 25(OH)D at age 6 months and 6 years (n = 475): 0.155 (0.083;0.228), p < 0.001. This was also demonstrated in the COPSAC₂₀₀₀ cohort between 25(OH)D concentrations in cord blood and at age 4 years (n = 188): 0.294 (0.127;0.461), p < 0.001 and at age 6 months and 4 years (n = 264): 0.260 (0.133;0.388), p < 0.001. In COPSAC₂₀₀₀, we also found an association between hs-CRP at age 6 months and 12 years in childhood (n = 232): 0.183 (0.076;0.289), p < 0.001. Finally, we found a negative association between the cross-sectional measurements of 25(OH)D and hs-CRP at age 6 months (n = 613) in COPSAC₂₀₁₀: −0.004 (−0.008;−0.0004), p = 0.030, but this was not replicated in COPSAC₂₀₀₀. In this study, we found evidence of associations across timepoints of 25(OH)D concentrations from mid-pregnancy to infancy and through childhood and associations between hs-CRP levels during childhood, although with weak correlations. We also found a negative cross-sectional association between 25(OH)D and hs-CRP concentrations in COPSAC₂₀₁₀ proposing a role of vitamin D in systemic low-grade inflammation, though this association was not present in COPSAC₂₀₀₀. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effect of Vitamin D during Pregnancy on Maternal, Neonatal and Child Outcomes)

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12 pages, 938 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Developmental Vitamin D Deficiency in Pregnant Rats Does Not Induce Preeclampsia

by Asad Ali, Suzanne Alexander, Pauline Ko, James S. M. Cuffe, Andrew J. O. Whitehouse, John J. McGrath and Darryl Eyles

Nutrients 2021, 13(12), 4254; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu13124254 - 26 Nov 2021

Viewed by 2434

Abstract

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy disorder characterized by hypertension. Epidemiological studies have associated preeclampsia with an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring, such as autism and schizophrenia. Preeclampsia has also been linked with maternal vitamin D deficiency, another candidate risk factor also associated [...] Read more.

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy disorder characterized by hypertension. Epidemiological studies have associated preeclampsia with an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring, such as autism and schizophrenia. Preeclampsia has also been linked with maternal vitamin D deficiency, another candidate risk factor also associated with autism. Our laboratory has established a gestational vitamin-D-deficient rat model that shows consistent and robust behavioural phenotypes associated with autism- and schizophrenia-related animal models. Therefore, we explored here whether this model also produces preeclampsia as a possible mediator of behavioural phenotypes in offspring. We showed that gestational vitamin D deficiency was not associated with maternal blood pressure or proteinuria during late gestation. Maternal and placental angiogenic and vasculogenic factors were also not affected by a vitamin-D-deficient diet. We further showed that exposure to low vitamin D levels did not expose the placenta to oxidative stress. Overall, gestational vitamin D deficiency in our rat model was not associated with preeclampsia-related features, suggesting that well-described behavioural phenotypes in offspring born to vitamin-D-deficient rat dams are unlikely to be mediated via a preeclampsia-related mechanism. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effect of Vitamin D during Pregnancy on Maternal, Neonatal and Child Outcomes)

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Review

Jump to: Research, Other

18 pages, 397 KiB

Open AccessReview

Vitamin D: Before, during and after Pregnancy: Effect on Neonates and Children

by José Luis Mansur, Beatriz Oliveri, Evangelina Giacoia, David Fusaro and Pablo René Costanzo

Nutrients 2022, 14(9), 1900; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu14091900 - 01 May 2022

Cited by 36 | Viewed by 9382

Abstract

A worldwide high prevalence of vitamin D (VD) deficiency has become of growing concern because of potential adverse effects on human health, including pregnant women and their offsprings. Beyond its classical function as a regulator of calcium and phosphate metabolism, together with its [...] Read more.

A worldwide high prevalence of vitamin D (VD) deficiency has become of growing concern because of potential adverse effects on human health, including pregnant women and their offsprings. Beyond its classical function as a regulator of calcium and phosphate metabolism, together with its fundamental role in bone health in every stage of life, its deficiency has been associated to multiple adverse health effects. The classic effects of VD deficiency in pregnancy and neonates have been late hypocalcemia and nutritional rickets. Nevertheless, recent studies have linked VD to fertility and 25(OH)D with several clinical conditions in pregnancy: preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, higher incidence of cesarean section and preterm birth, while in infants, the clinical conditions are low birth weight, lower bone mass and possible relationship with the development of such diseases as bronchiolitis, asthma, type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis and autism included as VD non-classical actions. The supplementation with Vitamin D and achievement of optimal levels reduce maternal-fetal and newborn complications. Supplementation in children with VD deficiency reduces the risk of respiratory infections and possibly autoimmune diseases and autism. This review emphasizes the roles of Vitamin D deficiency and the consequences of intervention from preconception to infancy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effect of Vitamin D during Pregnancy on Maternal, Neonatal and Child Outcomes)

Other

Jump to: Research, Review

17 pages, 551 KiB

Open AccessSystematic Review

A Systematic Review of Vitamin D during Pregnancy and Postnatally and Symptoms of Depression in the Antenatal and Postpartum Period from Randomized Controlled Trials and Observational Studies

by Jacqueline F. Gould, Robert A. Gibson, Tim J. Green and Maria Makrides

Nutrients 2022, 14(11), 2300; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu14112300 - 30 May 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3173

Abstract

Depression is a common mood disorder associated with childbirth and is hypothesized to be affected by low vitamin D. This systematic review identified two randomized controlled trials (RCT) of vitamin D supplementation for the treatment or prevention of depressive symptoms in the perinatal [...] Read more.

Depression is a common mood disorder associated with childbirth and is hypothesized to be affected by low vitamin D. This systematic review identified two randomized controlled trials (RCT) of vitamin D supplementation for the treatment or prevention of depressive symptoms in the perinatal period, as well as 18 observational studies of vitamin D exposure and depression in the antenatal and postnatal periods. Both RCTs claimed an improvement in depressive symptoms in the vitamin D group, although the sample sizes were too small to draw firm conclusions. The case-control and cohort studies had mixed findings and were limited by study quality. There were inconsistent results within the few studies with a more robust methodology or within samples restricted to women likely to have depression. The current evidence is inconclusive due to the poor quality and heterogeneity of studies, likely contributing to the contradictory findings. Given there are already numerous RCTs of prenatal vitamin D supplementation, we recommend adding an appropriate measure of depression in the perinatal period to assist in resolving the uncertainty. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effect of Vitamin D during Pregnancy on Maternal, Neonatal and Child Outcomes)

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