Supplementation with cholecalciferol during pregnancy linked to increased bone mineral content, bone mineral density, lean mass in offspring<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
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FRIDAY, Nov. 15, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Supplementation with cholecalciferol 1,000 IU\/day during pregnancy is associated with greater offspring bone mineral density during childhood, according to a study published in the November issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition<\/em>.<\/p>\n Rebecca J. Moon, B.M., B.Sc., from the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom, and colleagues examined whether gestational vitamin D supplementation increases offspring bone mineral density at ages 6 to 7 years in a post-hoc analysis of the Maternal Vitamin D Osteoporosis Study randomized controlled trial. Pregnant women at <14 weeks of gestation with a singleton pregnancy and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D of 25 to 100 nmol\/L were randomly assigned to receive 1,000 IU\/day cholecalciferol or placebo from 14 to 17 weeks of gestation until delivery. Offspring born to participants were invited to the childhood follow-up at ages 4 and 6 to 7 years. A total of 454 children were followed up at age 6 to 7 years; 447 had a usable dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan.<\/p>\n The researchers found that compared with placebo, gestational cholecalciferol supplementation resulted in significantly higher whole-body-less-head bone mineral content, bone mineral density, bone mineral apparent density, and lean mass. At ages 4 and 6 to 7 years, the effect of pregnancy cholecalciferol on bone outcomes was similar.<\/p>\n “This early intervention represents an important public health strategy,” Moon said in a statement. “It strengthens children’s bones and reduces the risk of conditions like osteoporosis and fractures in later life.”<\/p>\n Several authors disclosed ties to pharmaceutical and nutrition companies, including Merck, which provided the supplement.<\/p>\n