Association of maternal vitamin D deficiency and infants' neurodevelopmental status: A cohort study on vitamin D and its impact during pregnancy and childhood in Indonesia.

AIM: Vitamin D deficiency in early pregnancy may cause the disruption of fetal brain development and neurodevelopmental function. This study aimed to explore the extent of neurodevelopment disruption could be associated with maternal vitamin D deficiency.

METHODS

A cohort study was conducted in Sukabumi and Waled, West Java, Indonesia, beginning in July 2016. Maternal serum 25(OH)-vitamin D was measured between 10 and 14 weeks of gestational age. Child development was measured using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-3 (ASQ-3) at age 3, 6 and 12 months.

RESULTS

A total of 141 mother-infant pairs participated. One pair was excluded due to anencephaly of the infant. Vitamin D deficiency was found in 27 (19%) mothers, but delays occurred in gross motor function among 104 (76.1%) infants and in problem-solving functions among 61 (43.7%) infants at 3 months old. In general, the mean ASQ score at ages 3 and 6 months were lower among infants whose mothers had a vitamin D deficiency. The mean ASQ score for gross motor function at age 3 months was found to be significantly lower among these infants (31.5 vs. 37.9; P = 0.02), with increased risk for delayed motor function at age 3 months (relative risk (95% confidence interval) = 1.22 (1.09-1.49); P = 0.03).

CONCLUSION

Neurodevelopmental function disruptions among infants whose mothers had vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy were reflected in lower ASQ scores, in which gross motor function was significantly impaired at 3 months of age.