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MANITOBA, Canada: A study led by researchers in Canada has found a direct relationship between low vitamin D levels in mothers during pregnancy and the prevalence of dental caries in their children during the first year of life. They found that prenatal vitamin D levels were significantly lower in women whose babies had cavities compared with women whose children did not have cavities.
In the study, 207 expectant mothers were recruited. They were predominantly from economically disadvantaged urban areas. Although the researchers found normal vitamin D levels in most of the participants, they also found that 33 percent had deficient levels.
Dental examination of the teeth of some of their children (135) at 1 year of age showed that 22 percent of the infants had enamel hypoplasia. In addition, early childhood caries was identified in up to 36 percent of the children.
Mothers of children with caries had significantly lower vitamin D levels than those whose children were caries-free. Thus, the researchers concluded that maternal prenatal vitamin D levels may have an influence on the primary dentition and the development of early childhood caries.
According to the National Institutes of Health, vitamin D is naturally present in very few foods. It is produced endogenously when ultraviolet rays from sunlight strike the skin and trigger vitamin D synthesis. In children, vitamin D deficiency causes rickets, a disease characterized by a failure of bone tissue to mineralize properly, resulting in soft bones and skeletal deformities, the organization stated.
The study, titled "Prenatal Vitamin D and Dental Caries in Infants," was published online on April 21 in the Pediatrics journal ahead of print. It was conducted by researchers at the University of Manitoba.
