Maternal intake of vitamin D during pregnancy and risk of recurrent wheeze in children at 3 y of age.
BACKGROUND
Vitamin D deficiency and asthma are common at higher latitudes. Although vitamin D has important immunologic effects, its relation with asthma is unknown.


OBJECTIVE
We hypothesized that a higher maternal intake of vitamin D during pregnancy is associated with a lower risk of recurrent wheeze in children at 3 y of age.


METHODS
The participants were 1194 mother-child pairs in Project Viva-a prospective prebirth cohort study in Massachusetts. We assessed the maternal intake of vitamin D during pregnancy from a validated food-frequency questionnaire. The primary outcome was recurrent wheeze, ie, a positive asthma predictive index (>or=2 wheezing attacks among children with a personal diagnosis of eczema or a parental history of asthma).


RESULTS
The mean (+/-SD) total vitamin D intake during pregnancy was 548 +/- 167 IU/d. By age 3 y, 186 children (16%) had recurrent wheeze. Compared with mothers in the lowest quartile of daily intake (median: 356 IU), those in the highest quartile (724 IU) had a lower risk of having a child with recurrent wheeze [odds ratio (OR): 0.39; 95% CI: 0.25, 0.62; P for trend < 0.001]. A 100-IU increase in vitamin D intake was associated with lower risk (OR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.74, 0.89), regardless of whether vitamin D was from the diet (OR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.69, 0.96) or supplements (OR: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.73, 0.92). Adjustment for 12 potential confounders, including maternal intake of other dietary factors, did not change the results.


CONCLUSIONS
In the northeastern United States, a higher maternal intake of vitamin D during pregnancy may decrease the risk of recurrent wheeze in early childhood.
Camargo
Carlos A
CA
Center for D-receptor Activation Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA. ccamargo@partners.org
Rifas-Shiman
Sheryl L
SL
Litonjua
Augusto A
AA
Rich-Edwards
Janet W
JW
Weiss
Scott T
ST
Gold
Diane R
DR
Kleinman
Ken
K
Gillman
Matthew W
MW
D015992:Body Mass Index; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008423:Maternal Age; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011247:Pregnancy; D012135:Respiratory Sounds / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000378:metabolism*
D014807:Vitamin D