Gestational vitamin D deficiency and autism spectrum disorder
Anna A. E. Vinkhuyzen,
Darryl W. Eyles,
Thomas H. J. Burne,
Laura M. E. Blanken,
Claudia J. Kruithof,
Frank Verhulst,
Tonya White,
Vincent W. Jaddoe,
Henning Tiemeier,
John J. McGrath
Affiliations
Anna A. E. Vinkhuyzen
Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia; Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
Darryl W. Eyles
Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia; Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, The Park Centre for Mental Health, Wacol, Australia
Thomas H. J. Burne
Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia; Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, The Park Centre for Mental Health, Wacol, Australia
Laura M. E. Blanken
The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Claudia J. Kruithof
The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Frank Verhulst
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Tonya White
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Vincent W. Jaddoe
The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Henning Tiemeier
Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
John J. McGrath
Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia; Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, The Park Centre for Mental Health, Wacol, Australia
Background There is growing interest in linking vitamin D deficiency with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). The association between vitamin D deficiency during gestation, a critical period in neurodevelopment, and ASD is not well understood. Aims To determine the association between gestational vitamin D status and ASD. Method Based on a birth cohort (n=4334), we examined the association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD), assessed from both maternal mid-gestation sera and neonatal sera, and ASD (defined by clinical records; n=68 cases). Results Individuals in the 25OHD-deficient group at mid-gestation had more than twofold increased risk of ASD (odds ratio (OR)=2.42, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.09 to 5.07, P=0.03) compared with the sufficient group. The findings persisted in analyses including children of European ethnicity only. Conclusions Mid-gestational vitamin D deficiency was associated with an increased risk of ASD. Because gestational vitamin D deficiency is readily preventable with safe, inexpensive and readily available supplementation, this risk factor warrants closer scrutiny.
