Circulating 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 in Pregnancy and Infant Neuropsychological Development

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D-3 [25(OH)D-3] concentration in pregnancy is associated with neuropsychological development in infants. METHODS: The Spanish population-based cohort study INfancia y Medio Ambiente Project recruited pregnant women during the first trimester of pregnancy between November 2003 and February 2008. Completed data on 1820 mother-infant pairs were used. Maternal plasma 25(OH)D-3 concentration was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography in pregnancy (mean 13.5 +/- 2.1 weeks of gestation). Offspring mental and psychomotor scores were assessed by trained psychologists at age 14 months (range, 11-23) by using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. beta-Coefficients with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of mental and psychomotor scores associated with continuous or categorical concentrations of maternal plasma 25(OH)D-3 were calculated by using linear regression analysis. RESULTS: The median plasma value of 25(OH)D-3 in pregnancy was 29.6 ng/mL (interquartile range, 21.8-37.3). A positive linear relationship was found between circulating concentrations of maternal 25(OH)D-3 concentrations in pregnancy and mental and psychomotor scores in the offspring. After adjustment for potential confounders, infants of mothers with 25(OH)D-3 concentrations in pregnancy >30 ng/mL showed higher mental score (beta = 2.60; 95% CI 0.63-4.56) and higher psychomotor score (beta = 2.32; 95% CI 0.36-4.28) in comparison with those of mothers with 25(OH)D-3 concentrations <20 ng/mL. CONCLUSIONS: Higher circulating concentration of maternal 25(OH)D-3 in pregnancy was associated with improved mental and psychomotor development in infants. Pediatrics 2012; 130: e913-e920