Oxford mums take part in research for childhood bone density using vitamin D
Children whose mothers took extra vitamin D during pregnancy continue to have stronger bones, according to research
A selection of mums from Oxfordshire have taken part in research that looks into childhood bone density, where vitamin D is have found to have strengthened their child’s bone density by the age of seven.
They’ve been part of around 1,000 pregnant women from across the country, including Oxford, Southampton, and Sheffield, that took extra vitamin D during pregnancy back in 2009.
Bone density scans taken for the study led by the University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton (UHS) showed they contained more calcium and more minerals, making them stronger and less likely to break.
The researchers say the findings, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, reinforce the importance of the use of vitamin D supplements in pregnancy as a public health strategy.
Vitamin D regulates the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body - minerals essential for bones, teeth and muscle health.
Dr Rebecca Moon, NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research) clinical lecturer in child health at the University of Southampton, said: "Our findings show that the benefits of vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy persist into mid-childhood.
"This early intervention represents an important public health strategy. It strengthens children's bones and reduces the risk of conditions like osteoporosis and fractures in later life."
During their pregnancy, the women were randomly divided into two groups, with one group taking an extra 1,000 International Units of vitamin D per day and the other taking a placebo tablet.
The pregnant women, and the doctors and midwives looking after them, did not know which group they were in.
Previous research assessed the children's bone health at the age of four and the results showed that bone mass was greater in children born to mothers who had had vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy compared with those who had not.