Summary: Babies born with low vitamin D levels are more likely to develop mental disorders like ADHD, schizophrenia, and autism later in life. Researchers analyzed data from over 71,000 individuals, linking neonatal vitamin D deficiency to increased risks of several neurodevelopmental conditions.
This research expands on previous studies and suggests that early-life vitamin D plays a crucial role in brain development. The findings support recommendations for vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy and early infancy as a preventive measure for mental health disorders.
Key Facts:
- Increased Risk: Babies with low vitamin D had higher chances of developing ADHD, schizophrenia, and autism.
- Widespread Deficiency: Vitamin D deficiency is common in pregnant women worldwide.
- Preventive Potential: Early-life vitamin D supplementation may reduce the risk of mental disorders.
Source: University of Queensland
Newborn babies with a vitamin D deficiency have a higher chance of later developing mental disorders such as ADHD, schizophrenia and autism, a major study involving The University of Queensland has found.
In the largest population study of its kind, researchers examined vitamin D status of 71,793 people, many of whom had a mental health disorder diagnosed during childhood and early adulthood.
Professor John McGrath from UQ’s Queensland Brain Institute, led the study that was based at the National Centre for Register-Based Research, Aarhus University, and the State Serum Institute in Denmark.
He said they examined 6 mental disorders: major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and anorexia nervosa.
“We found evidence that people with lower vitamin D concentration as a baby had an increased risk of schizophrenia, ASD and ADHD,” Professor McGrath said.
“Previous research had linked neonatal vitamin D deficiency with an increased risk of schizophrenia and autism, but this study examined a wider range of mental disorders, and included evidence based on two vitamin D-related biomarkers and related genetics.”
Professor McGrath said their research suggested that vitamin D supplements during pregnancy and early life could help reduce the risk of mental disorders in adulthood.
“Vitamin D is important for a baby’s brain development, and low vitamin D levels are common in pregnant women across the globe,’’ he said.
“This is why many countries recommended the use of vitamin D supplements during pregnancy.
“Similar to how folate supplements are recommended during pregnancy to prevent spina bifida, our research suggest that optimising vitamin D levels in early life may reduce the risk of several neurodevelopmental disorders.”
The researchers analysed data from the iPSYCH study, which was founded in 2012 to investigate mental disorders in Denmark.
Vitamin D usually comes from sun exposure but can also be found in some foods and supplements.
The research is published in The Lancet Psychiatry.
Professor McGrath’s work is funded by the Danish National Research Foundation, the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research and The University of Queensland.
Funding: The iPSYCH project is funded by the Lundbeck Foundation.
About this vitamin D and ASD research news
Author: UQ Communications
Source: University of Queensland
Contact: UQ Communications – University of Queensland
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Closed access.
“Convergent evidence linking neonatal vitamin D status and risk of neurodevelopmental disorders: a Danish case-cohort study” by John McGrath et al. Lancet Psychiatry
Abstract
Convergent evidence linking neonatal vitamin D status and risk of neurodevelopmental disorders: a Danish case-cohort study
Background
There is growing evidence linking neonatal vitamin D deficiency to an increased risk of schizophrenia, ADHD, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The aim of this study was to examine the association between two vitamin D biomarkers (25 hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and vitamin D-binding protein [DBP], and their related genetic correlates) and the risk of six mental disorders.
Methods
We used a population-based, case-cohort sample of all individuals born in Denmark between 1981 and 2005. Using Danish health registers with follow-up to Dec 31, 2012, we identified individuals diagnosed with major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, ADHD, ASD, and anorexia nervosa based on ICD-10 criteria.
Additionally, a random subcohort from the general population was selected. Based on neonatal dried blood spots, we measured concentrations of 25(OH)D and DBP. Our primary analyses were based on hazard ratios (HR) with 95% CI and absolute risks for the six mental disorders according to measured concentrations of 25(OH)D and DBP.
As secondary analyses, we examined the association between genetic predictors of 25(OH)D and DBP, and the six mental disorders, and Mendelian randomisation analyses based on published summary statistics for 25(OH)D, DBP, and the six mental disorders. People with lived experience contributed to the development of the guiding hypothesis.
Findings
We used the total population from the iPSYCH2012 design (n=88 764), which included individuals who developed the six mental disorders, major depressive disorder (n=24 240), bipolar disorder (n=1928), schizophrenia (n=3540), ADHD (n=18 726), ASD (n=16 146), anorexia nervosa (n=3643), and the randomly sampled subcohort (n=30 000).
Among those who met a range of inclusion criteria (eg, measured 25[OH]D, DBP or genotype, and predominantly European ancestry), we measured 25(OH)D or DBP in 71 793 individuals (38 118 [53·1%] male and 33 675 [46·9%] female); 65 952 had 25(OH)D and 66 797 the DBP measurements.
Significant inverse relationships were found between 25(OH)D and schizophrenia (HR 0·82, 95% CI 0·78–0·86), ASD (HR 0·93, 95% CI 0·90–0·96), and ADHD (HR 0·89, 95% CI 0·86–0·92). A significant inverse relationship was found between DBP and schizophrenia (HR 0·84, 95% CI 0·80–0·88).
Based on polygenic risk scores, higher concentrations of 25(OH)D (adjusted for DBP) were significantly associated with a reduced risk of both ASD and schizophrenia. Analyses based on Mendelian randomisation provided support for a causal association between both lower 25(OH)D and DBP concentrations and an increased risk of ADHD.
Interpretation
Convergent evidence finds that neonatal vitamin D status is associated with an altered risk of mental disorders. Our study supports the hypothesis that optimising neonatal vitamin D status might reduce the incidence of a range of neurodevelopmental disorders.
Funding
The Danish National Research Foundation.
