Researchers found that children whose mothers had higher vitamin D levels while pregnant tended to perform better on cognitive tests assessing skills like problem-solving and processing new information at ages 7 to 12.
However, vitamin D levels were not linked to skills based on learned knowledge, such as vocabulary. The association appeared strongest among children of Black mothers, and vitamin D levels measured earlier in pregnancy seemed most important for children’s brain development.
“Our study provides important new evidence that early pregnancy may be a critical period when vitamin D has the greatest potential to support cognitive development,” said Melissa M. Melough, PhD, RD of the University of Delaware, Newark. “This highlights a key opportunity for clinicians to enhance screening and support for vitamin D supplementation before and during pregnancy.”
Visit: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0002916525003399?via%3Dihub