Abstract
Vitamin D (25OHD) status during pregnancy is closely correlated with foetal and new-born 25OHD. Calcification for primary teeth begins from the fourth month of intrauterine life and from birth for permanent teeth. Dental consequences of severe 25OHD deficiency are well documented; however, consequences are less documented for milder degrees of 25OHD deficiency. This study examined the dental consequences of vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency during gestation and infancy in a cohort of 81 New Zealand children. Pregnancy and birth data for the children and their mothers and 25OHD status during gestation, birth and at five months were obtained, and dental examinations were conducted. Associations between 25OHD and enamel defects or caries experience were investigated. Of the 81 children, 55% had experienced dental caries and 64% had at least one enamel defect present. Vitamin D insufficiency (25OHD < 50 nmol/L) at all timepoints was not associated with enamel defect prevalence, but during third trimester pregnancy it was associated with an increased caries risk IRR of 3.55 (CI 1.15–10.92) by age 6. In conclusion, maternal 25OHD insufficiency during the third trimester of pregnancy was associated with greater caries experience in primary dentition. No association was found between early life 25OHD and enamel defect prevalence or severity.
Highlights
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutralPregnancy is a unique and demanding time in terms of calcium and phosphate metabolism
To assist in maternal/foetal mineral and skeletal health, global recommendations are to maintain maternal 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels during pregnancy above 30 ng/mL (74.9 nmol/L) [5,6]. Despite these recommendations, vitamin D deficiency remains common during pregnancy [7,8]. This is important as infant vitamin D status at birth is closely correlated with, and dependent upon, maternal status [7,9,10]
Given the current lack of strong clinical evidence for negative skeletal and dental health outcomes arising from mild to moderate vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy and early life, this study aims to examine the potential dental consequences of varying degrees of early life vitamin D deficiency, using maternal third trimester and infant 25OHD levels
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutralPregnancy is a unique and demanding time in terms of calcium and phosphate metabolism. To assist in maternal/foetal mineral and skeletal health, global recommendations are to maintain maternal 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels during pregnancy above 30 ng/mL (74.9 nmol/L) [5,6]. Despite these recommendations, vitamin D deficiency remains common during pregnancy [7,8]. This is important as infant vitamin D status at birth (and during gestation) is closely correlated with, and dependent upon, maternal status [7,9,10]. While the skeletal consequences of rickets and severe degrees of vitamin D deficiency in early childhood are well defined, the implications of lesser degrees of vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency, during pregnancy and early neonatal life, are less well understood
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