Autism associated with low vitamin D during pregnancy

See also "Autism, Vitamin D and Early Brain Development" 2016

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Gestational vitamin D deficiency and autism-related traits:

the Generation R Study

Molecular Psychiatry advance online publication 29 November 2016; doi: 10.1038/mp.2016.213

A A E Vinkhuyzen1, D W Eyles1,2, T H J Burne1,2, L M E Blanken3,4, C J Kruithof3,5, F Verhulst4, V W Jaddoe3,5,6, H Tiemeier4,5 and J J McGrath1,2,7

* Overview Autism and vitamin D * Autism 4 times more likely if low vitamin D during first trimester – Oct 2016 The TOP articles in Autism and Vitamin D are listed here: {category} Items in both categories Autism and Pregnancy are listed here: {category} Autism treated by Vitamin D: Dr. Cannell - video June 2013 includes many reasons why he believes Autism is related to Vitamin D {include} Social Responsiveness (SRS) of 22,000 Japanese school children - lower score is better

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1Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia

2Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, The Park Centre for Mental Health, Wacol, QLD, Australia

3The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

4Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

5Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

6Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

7National Centre for Register-Based Research, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark

Correspondence: Professor JJ McGrath, Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia. E-mail: j.mcgrath@uq.edu.au

There is intense interest in identifying modifiable risk factors associated with autism-spectrum disorders (ASD). Autism-related traits, which can be assessed in a continuous fashion, share risk factors with ASD, and thus can serve as informative phenotypes in population-based cohort studies. Based on the growing body of research linking gestational vitamin D deficiency with altered brain development, this common exposure is a candidate modifiable risk factor for ASD and autism-related traits. The association between gestational vitamin D deficiency and a continuous measure of autism-related traits at ~6 years (Social Responsiveness Scale; SRS) was determined in a large population-based cohort of mothers and their children (n=4229). 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) was assessed from maternal mid-gestation sera and from neonatal sera (collected from cord blood). Vitamin D deficiency was defined as 25OHD concentrations less than 25 nmol l 1. Compared with the 25OHD sufficient group (25OHD>50 nmol l 1), those who were 25OHD deficient had significantly higher (more abnormal) SRS scores (mid-gestation n=2866, β=0.06, P<0.001; cord blood n=1712, β=0.03, P=0.01).

The findings persisted

• (a) when we restricted the models to offspring with European ancestry,

• (b) when we adjusted for sample structure using genetic data,

• (c) when 25OHD was entered as a continuous measure in the models and

• (d) when we corrected for the effect of season of blood sampling.

Gestational vitamin D deficiency was associated with autism-related traits in a large population-based sample. Because gestational vitamin D deficiency is readily preventable with safe, cheap and accessible supplements, this candidate risk factor warrants closer scrutiny.