Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and the capute scales in offspring of mothers with normal and deficient vitamin D levels

Abstract

Background: Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy is associated with a child's neurocognitive development. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Capute Scales have become ineffective because requiring face-to-face interaction to examine children's neurocognitive development. Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) is an alternative method to determine children's neurocognitive development through blood sampling. This study aims to evaluate the relationships between BDNF and the Capute Scales in the offspring of mothers with vitamin D levels. Methods: A diagnostic study from 14 community health centers in Semarang City, Central Java, Indonesia, was conducted. The study was performed from August 2017 until August 2018 and included vitamin D level records at 20–24 weeks of normal gestation in 2017 from all single births at these community health centers. The cases were divided into two groups: 30 children born to mothers with normal vitamin D levels (25(OH)D > 20 ng/mL) and 30 children born to mothers with vitamin D deficiency (25(OH)D < 20 ng/ml). This study aimed to assess the relationship between BDNF levels and the Capute Scales of children aged 2 years and to determine the cut-off value based on each group's examination of BDNF levels. Results: The mean age of pregnant women whose vitamin D levels were checked was 29.32 years. The cut-off value of BDNF among the two groups was 7968 pg/mL. Of the 55 samples that met the Capute Scales criteria, 44 had a BDNF value less than the cut-off value, and 11 samples had a BDNF value more than the cut-off value. Meanwhile, of the five samples that met the Capute Scales criteria and were suspected of mental retardation, three had a BDNF value less than the cut-off value, and two had a BDNF value more than the cut-off value. The sensitivity, specificity, positive, and negative predictive values were 80%, 60%, 0.93, and 0.15, respectively. Conclusions: BDNF levels can be an alternative neurocognitive examination in children born to mothers with normal and deficient vitamin D levels. BDNF is a growth factor that plays an important role in neurons' differentiation, growth, and survival in the postnatal phase.