Maternal vitamin D status during pregnancy in relation to childhood cardiometabolic risk factors: the GraviD-Child prospective cohort study.

Abstract

Background & aims: In utero exposure to deficiencies of certain nutritional factors such as vitamin D has been related to adverse cardiometabolic outcomes in the offspring, but results are conflicting. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between maternal vitamin D status during pregnancy and markers of cardiometabolic risk in childhood.

Methods: Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) concentrations were measured at 11- and 33-weeks' gestation. At 7-8 years of age, the children were examined regarding anthropometry, body composition (by bioelectrical impedance), and blood pressure, and a blood sample was drawn. Cardiometabolic risk was assessed using individual cardiometabolic risk factors and a composite score of adiposity, blood pressure, blood lipids, and hemoglobin A1c, using age- and sex-specific z-scores. Associations between maternal vitamin D status in early and late pregnancy and z-scores of markers of cardiometabolic risk were evaluated using adjusted linear and logistic regression analyses.

Results: In total, n=172 mother-child pairs were included. Neither was an association found between maternal 25OHD concentration with a composite score of cardiometabolic risk in childhood (Odds Ratio (OR) 1.02 (confidence interval (CI) 0.99-1.05), and OR 0.99 (CI 0.97-1.01) in early and late pregnancy, respectively), nor with any individual marker of cardiometabolic risk.

Conclusion: In conclusion, there were no evidence of an association between maternal vitamin D status during pregnancy and cardiometabolic risk factors in the child at 7-8 years of age.