Maternal vitamin D intake and BMI during pregnancy in relation to child's growth and weight status from birth to 8 years: a large national cohort study

Abstract

Objectives: To examine the associations between maternal vitamin D intake and childhood growth and risk of overweight up to 8 years. We further examined the effect modification by maternal prepregnancy body mass index (BMI).

Design: Prospective population-based pregnancy cohort study.

Setting: The Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study.

Participants: In total, 58 724 mothers and 66 840 singleton children, with information on maternal vitamin D intake during the pregnancy and minimum one postnatal anthropometric measurement.

Outcome measures: Predicted weight and height growth trajectories and velocities from 1 month to 8 years, rapid growth during infancy and toddlerhood, and risk of overweight in preschool and school age.

Results: Overall, maternal vitamin D intake was associated with lower weight trajectory, lower odds of rapid weight growth and higher odds of childhood overweight. In children of mothers with prepregnancy normal weight, maternal vitamin D intake was negatively associated with weight trajectory and lower OR of a rapid weight growth during the first year, compared with reference (<5 µg/day). Children of mothers with normal weight, with maternal vitamin D intakes of 10-15 and >15 µg/day, also had 0.86 (95% CI 0.77 to 0.97) and 0.88 (95% CI 0.79 to 0.99) lower odds for overweight at 3 years, compared with reference. In contrast, in children of mothers with prepregnancy overweight (BMI ≥25 kg/m²), vitamin D intake was positively associated with weight trajectory. Children of mothers with overweight, with maternal vitamin D intake of 5-9.9 µg/day, also had (1.09 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.18) and 1.12 (95% CI 1.02 to 1.23)) higher odds for overweight at 5 years and 8 years, compared with reference.

Conclusions: Maternal vitamin D intake affects postnatal growth and is inversely associated with childhood overweight in children of mothers with normal weight. Associations between maternal vitamin D intake and child growth and risk of overweight varied by prepregnancy BMI.

Keywords: epidemiology; nutrition & dietetics; preventive medicine; public health; social medicine.