Vitamin D Levels in Pregnancy Linked to Baby’s Dental Health

Vitamin D, also known as the "sunshine vitamin" because the body manufactures the vitamin after being exposed to sunshine, has a long list of health benefits. Recent research suggests that vitamin D may provide protection from osteoporosis, hypertension (high blood pressure), cancer, and several autoimmune diseases. But its primary function is to promote the body's absorption of calcium, which is essential to the development of healthy bones and teeth. And new findings show vitamin D to be equally important to a baby's teeth, even before they are born.

For their study, Canadian researchers at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg and Victoria measured the vitamin D levels of 206 women in their second trimester of pregnancy. In comments to Reuters Health, Dr. Robert Schroth, lead researcher from the University, explained that the second trimester of pregnancy "is when primary teeth begin to develop and calcify." They found only 21 (10.5 percent) to have adequate levels of the vitamin. These levels were consistent with the women's intake of milk and prenatal vitamins.

When the children born to the women in the study were approximately 16 months of age, their dental health was examined. The researchers found 21.6 percent of them to have enamel defects and 33.6 percent showed signs of tooth decay. Enamel defects during infancy significantly increases the likelihood of tooth decay developing during early childhood.

The mothers of the children with enamel defects had lower levels of vitamin D during pregnancy than the mothers of children who did not have enamel defects, although the difference in the mother's vitamin D levels were considered not significantly different. However, the mothers of the children with signs of early-childhood tooth decay did have significantly lower levels of vitamin D during pregnancy than the mothers of children who did not have cavities.

The study is thought to be the first to document a link between a mother's vitamin D intake during pregnancy and her child's dental health. The Dairy Farmers of Canada, the Dentistry Canada Fund, the Manitoba Institute of Child Health, the Manitoba Medical Service Foundation, and the University of Manitoba funded the study. The findings were presented to the International Association for Dental Research during its 86th general session on July 4.

Vitamin D is found in supplements as well as many dietary sources such as fish, eggs, fortified milk, and cod liver oil. You can also spend ten to 15 minutes in the sun three times weekly, which is considered enough to produce the body's requirement of vitamin D.