Low vitamin D levels at birth linked to higher autism risk

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Low vitamin D levels at birth were associated with an increased risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) at the age of 3 years in a recent Journal of Bone and Mineral Research study.

In the study of 27,940 newborns in China, 310 were diagnosed with ASDs at 3 years of age, with a prevalence of 1.11 percent. When the 310 children with ASDs were compared with 1,240 , the risk of ASDs was significantly increased in each of the three lower quartiles of vitamin D level at birth, when compared with the highest quartile: an increased risk of ASDs by 260 percent in the lowest quartile, 150 percent in the second quartile, and 90 percent in the third quartile.

"Neonatal vitamin D status was significantly associated with the risk of ASDs and ," said senior author Dr. Yuan-Lin Zheng.

More information: Dong-Mei Wu et al, Relationship Between Neonatal Vitamin D at Birth and Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorders: the NBSIB Study, Journal of Bone and Mineral Research (2017). DOI: 10.1002/jbmr.3326

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Citation: Low vitamin D levels at birth linked to higher autism risk (2017, November 29) retrieved 29 March 2024 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-11-vitamin-d-birth-linked-higher.html
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