Association of Maternal Gestational Vitamin D Supplementation with Respiratory Health of Young Children

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the association between maternal gestational Vitamin D3 supplementation and early respiratory health in offspring. This was a population-based record-linkage study which used data from the French National Health Database System. Maternal Vitamin D3 supplementation consisted of a single high oral dose of cholecalciferol, (100,000 IU) from the seventh month of pregnancy, according to national guidelines. In total, 125,756 term-born singleton children were included, of which 37% had respiratory illness defined as hospital admission due to respiratory causes or inhalation treatment up to 24 months of age. Infants prenatally exposed to maternal Vitamin D3 supplementation (n = 54,596) were more likely to have a longer gestational age (GA) at birth (GA 36–38 weeks, 22% vs. 20%, p < 0.001 in exposed vs. non-exposed infants, respectively). After adjusting for the main risk factors (maternal age, socioeconomic level, mode of delivery, obstetrical and neonatal pathology, birth weight appropriateness, sex, and birth season), the risk of RD was found to be 3% lower than their counterparts (aOR [IC 95%], 0.97 [0.95–0.99], p = 0.01). In conclusion, this study provides evidence for the association between maternal gestational Vitamin D3 supplementation and improved early respiratory outcomes in young children.

High-Dose Vitamin D Supplementation Significantly Affects the Placental Transcriptome

“…Vitamin D deficiency in uncomplicated pregnancies is associated with long-term health difficulties, including asthma, type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and respiratory infections in the affected children [2,4,56,57], which are all conditions related to the immune function of the offspring. Whether these effects are more likely to be caused by placental changes or occur as a consequence of an insufficient vitamin D supply to the fetus remains to be clarified.…”

Managing children with frequent respiratory infections and associated wheezing: a preliminary randomized study with a new multicomponent nasal spray

“…The present study, although preliminary, is consistent with other studies that endorse the use of food supplements modulating immune response and fight against RIs. [61][62][63][64][65]…”

Effect of Obesity on Lung Function in the Pediatric and Adult Populations with Asthma: A Review

“…Dysanapsis is defined as an imbalance in the growth of the lung parenchyma and airway calibration and is more prevalent in males and in those with obesity from a young age [56]. Even though the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are still being studied, factors such as weight gain during pregnancy [57], in utero exposure to tobacco [58], and vitamin D deficiency have been associated with it [59,60]. Furthermore, the widespread presence of M1 macrophages and leptin polymorphisms due to Another potential modifier of the asthma phenotype is the gut/lung microbiome axis.…”

“…Dysanapsis is defined as an imbalance in the growth of the lung parenchyma and airway calibration and is more prevalent in males and in those with obesity from a young age [ 56 ]. Even though the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are still being studied, factors such as weight gain during pregnancy [ 57 ], in utero exposure to tobacco [ 58 ], and vitamin D deficiency have been associated with it [ 59 , 60 ]. Furthermore, the widespread presence of M1 macrophages and leptin polymorphisms due to excess fat tissue during childhood may impede lung growth and development by stimulating proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-6, IL-12, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), which are associated with chronic inflammation and other comorbidities such as insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome, as mentioned later in this review [ 61 , 62 , 63 ].…”