Poster #112 - Prenatal Vitamin D Levels and Child’s Temperament

• In Event: 2-002 - Special Poster Session 05 with Continental Breakfast Reception
  In Poster Session: PS 05 - Interdisciplinary Section

Integrative Statement

Previous studies have shown that childhood emotional and behavioral problems may have origins in prenatal period. Animal studies have suggested that prenatal vitamin D deficiency may contribute unfavorably to the offspring brain development. The results of the existing human studies on maternal prenatal vitamin D levels and offspring psychopathology have been mixed. Previous studies have also often measured prenatal vitamin D levels only once, restricting the conclusions of potential critical periods. Further, early-emerging individual differences in temperament traits are suggested to indicate later risk for psychopathology well before the child’s behavior becomes problematic. Yet, there are no studies on the link between prenatal vitamin D-levels and child’s temperament. In the current study, we examined the association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels measured during first/second trimester from maternal blood and at birth from cord blood and one-year old’s temperament.
Methods. Participants were 836 Finnish full-term children and their mothers (boys n=410, 49%). Prenatal blood serum 25OHD levels were assessed from the mother (range 25-189 nmol/l) before third trimester and from cord blood (range 37-284 nmol). Mothers rated their child’s temperament (the Infant Behavior Questionnaire – Revised) at one year of age. In multivariate linear regression analyses we controlled for the sex of the child (model I), maternal age, educational level, smoking during pregnancy and the season of vitamin D assessment (model II), and the child’s own 25OHD level at age of one-year (model III).
Results. Results showed (Table 1) that lower maternal 25OHD levels at first/second trimester were associated with higher Negative Affectivity (NEG) of the child at one-year of age after controlling for child’s sex, season of vitamin D assessment and maternal variables (model II). Lower maternal 25OHD levels were also related to subscales of NEG, namely to child’s higher distress to limitations and slower recovery from distress/arousal. Both lower maternal and cord blood 25OHD levels were related to subscale of Regulatory Capasity (REG), namely to lower responsiveness to caretakers’ soothing techniques (model II). After further controlling for child’s own 25OHD levels at one year of age (model III) results remained similar except that maternal prenatal 25OHD levels were no longer significantly associated with soothing, and the association between lower cord blood 25OHD levels and child’s higher fearfulness became significant.
Conclusions. This study supports the existing evidence of prenatal programming of child’s emotional and behavioral problems and their risk factors. Current study is the first to provide evidence on the role of prenatal vitamin D levels on the development of child’s temperament traits. The findings suggest that lower maternal prenatal vitamin D levels may increase the risk for child’s negative affectivity, especially distress to limitations and slowness of the recovery from distress as well as for unresponsiveness to caretakers soothing techniques, even after controlling for other prenatal and later environmental factors, including child’s own vitamin D levels. Furthermore, current study indicates that especially first/second trimester vitamin D levels may be critical for the development of child’s Negative Affectivity.

Authors

• Kati Heinonen, University of Helsinki, Finland
  Presenting Author

• Elisa Holmlund-Suila, • 1Children’s Hospital, Pediatric Research Center, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
  Non-Presenting Author

• Saara Valkama, Children’s Hospital, Pediatric Research Center, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jenni Rosendahl, Children’s Hospital, Pediatric Research Center, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
  Non-Presenting Author

• Maria Enlund-Cerullo, Children’s Hospital, Pediatric Research Center, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
  Non-Presenting Author

• Helena Hauta-alus, Children’s Hospital, Pediatric Research Center, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
  Non-Presenting Author

• Outi Mäkitie, Children’s Hospital, Pediatric Research Center, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
  Non-Presenting Author

• Sture Andersson, Children’s Hospital, Pediatric Research Center, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
  Non-Presenting Author

• Katri Raikkonen, University of Helsinki
  Non-Presenting Author