Does 'imprinting' with low prenatal vitamin D contribute to the risk of various adult disorders?
Hypovitaminosis D is a candidate risk-modifying factor for a diverse range of disorders apart from rickets and osteoporosis. Based on epidemiology, and on in vitro and animal experiment, vitamin D has been linked to multiple sclerosis, certain cancers (prostate, breast and colorectal), insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and schizophrenia. I hypothesise that low pre- and perinatal vitamin D levels imprint on the functional characteristics of various tissues throughout the body, leaving the affected individual at increased risk of developing a range of adult-onset disorders. The hypothesis draws from recent advances in our understanding of the early origin of adult disease and proposes a 'critical window' during which vitamin D levels may have a persisting impact on adult health outcomes. Methods to test the hypothesis are outlined. If correct, the hypothesis has important implications for public health. Careful attention to maternal vitamin D status could translate into diverse improvements in health outcomes for the following generation.
McGrath
J
J
Queensland Centre for Schizophrenia Research, Wolston Park Hospital, Wacol, Queensland, Australia. jjm@brain.wph.uq.edu.au
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008954:Models, Biological; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D012279:Rickets / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000196:embryology* / Q000503:physiopathology*