Vitamin D status in pregnancy and childhood associates with intelligence quotient at age 7 years: An Odense child cohort study

Abstract

Objectives:

Animal studies indicate a key role for vitamin D in brain development and function, but observational studies in humans only suggests a borderline positive association between prenatal vitamin D exposure and cognitive development in the offspring. Knowledge gaps include insights in exposure time window and differences by sex for the association. We aimed to investigate the association between blood concentrations of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D measured at four different time points and intelligence quotient score at the age of 7 years, including analyses spilt by child sex.

Methods:

In Odense child cohort, we included 1404 mother–child pairs with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D data from early pregnancy to age 7 years. Full-scale intelligence quotient was assessed with Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – fifth edition. Associations were adjusted for maternal education, pre-pregnancy body mass index, gestational age, sex and head circumference. Subanalyses stratified by sex were performed.

Results:

The median (interquartile range) serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D in cord was 45.88 (31.15–61.08) nmol/L; early pregnancy, 66.45 (51.29–78.74); late pregnancy, 79.13 (59.69–97.31); 7 years, 66.29 (53.45–80.23) nmol/L. The mean (standard deviation) full-scale intelligence quotient was 99.44 (11.98). In adjusted analyses, cord serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D < 50 nmol/L was associated with 2.2 points lower full-scale intelligence quotient compared to the reference (50–75 nmol/L) in boys, β = –2.2; 95% confidence interval = [−4.3, –0.1], p = 0.039. The same association with full-scale intelligence quotient was found for early pregnancy serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, β = –2.5 [−4.6, –0.3], p = 0.025, primarily driven by an association in boys, β = –4.0 [−7.2, –0.8], p = 0.015; and for serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D at 7 years in girls, β = –3.0 [−6.0, –0.1], p = 0.042.

Conclusion:

In this cohort, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D < 50 nmol/L in both early gestation and cord blood in boys and current serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D < 50 nmol/L in girls were independent risk factors for two to four points lower full-scale intelligence quotient at the age of 7 years. Vulnerability to hypovitaminosis D, especially in pregnancy, may relate to child sex.