Taking vitamin D during pregnancy improves bone health in children, at least until they are 7 years old.
- Vitamin D regulates the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body and participates in the mineralization of bones, teeth and muscles.
- The study shows that children whose mothers took a vitamin D supplement during pregnancy continued to have stronger bones at age seven.
- Researchers therefore recommend taking vitamin D during pregnancy.
Vitamin D helps the body maintain calcium levels and participates in the mineralization of bones, cartilage and teeth. And these benefits would begin during life in utero.
Indeed, a study from the University of Southampton, published in the journal The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, reveals that children whose mothers took vitamin D supplements during pregnancy had better bone health than those who did not.
Vitamin D and pregnancy: better bone mass in children
In 2009, researchers recruited 1,000 British women. During their pregnancy, they were randomly divided into two groups. Those in the first group took an additional 1,000 international units of vitamin D per day while volunteers in the second group received a placebo.
A first study showed that at the age of 4, children whose mothers had taken vitamin D had greater bone mass. New tests were carried out on 454 of these little participants while they were between 6 and 7 years old.
The results show that the beneficial effects of supplementation on bone health continued for at least 7 years.
Vitamin D: supplementation during pregnancy is beneficial
Faced with their results, the researchers recommend taking vitamin D during pregnancy. In a press releaseDr Rebecca Moon who led the study, emphasizes “our results show that the benefits of vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy persist into mid-childhood.” “This early intervention constitutes an important public health strategy. It strengthens children’s bones and reduces the risk of diseases like osteoporosis and fractures later in life.”
Furthermore, in 2022, the same researchers had also demonstrated that taking supplements during pregnancy could significantly reduce the risks of babies up to one year old suffering from atopic eczema. Furthermore, mothers were more likely to have a natural birth.
