Maternal vitamin D deficiency and the risk of autism spectrum disorders: population-based study
Cecilia Magnusson,
Kyriaki Kosidou,
Christina Dalman,
Michael Lundberg,
Brian K. Lee,
Dheeraj Rai,
Håkan Karlsson,
Renee Gardner,
Stefan Arver
Affiliations
Cecilia Magnusson
Department of Public Health Sciences, KarolinskaInstitutet, Stockholm, Sweden Centre for Epidemiology and Community Medicine, Stockholm County Council, Solna, Sweden
Kyriaki Kosidou
Department of Public Health Sciences, KarolinskaInstitutet, Stockholm, Sweden
Christina Dalman
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University School of Public Health, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Michael Lundberg
Department of Public Health Sciences, KarolinskaInstitutet, Stockholm, Sweden Centre for Academic Mental Health, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK Avon and Wiltshire Partnership Mental Health NHS Trust, Bristol, UK
Brian K. Lee
Department of Neuroscience, KarolinskaInstitutet, Stockholm, Sweden
Dheeraj Rai
Department of Public Health Sciences, KarolinskaInstitutet, Stockholm, Sweden
Håkan Karlsson
Department of Medicine, KarolinskaInstitutet, Stockholm, Sweden
Renee Gardner
Department of Medicine, KarolinskaInstitutet, Stockholm, Sweden
Stefan Arver
Department of Medicine, KarolinskaInstitutet, Stockholm, Sweden
BackgroundMaternal vitamin D deficiency may increase risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but direct evidence is lacking.AimsTo clarify the relationship between maternal vitamin D deficiency and offspring risk of ASD with and without intellectual disability.MethodUsing a register-based total population study (N=509 639), we calculated adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIS) of ASD with and without intellectual disability in relation to lifetime diagnoses of maternal vitamin D deficiency. Although rare, such deficiency was associated with offspring risk of ASD with, but not without, intellectual disability (aORs 2.51, 95% CI 1.22–5.16 and 1.28, 0.68–2.42). Relationships were stronger in non-immigrant children.ConclusionsIf reflecting associations for prenatal hypovitaminosis, these findings imply gestational vitamin D substitution as a means of ASD prevention.
