title: Maternal vitamin D status during pregnancy and body composition and cardiovascular risk markers in Indian children: the Mysore Parthenon Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Metabolic consequences of vitamin D deficiency have become a recent research focus. Maternal vitamin D status is thought to influence musculoskeletal health in children, but its relation with offspring metabolic risk is not known.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to examine the association between maternal vitamin D status and anthropometric variables, body composition, and cardiovascular risk markers in Indian children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations were measured at 28-32 wk gestation in 568 women who delivered at Holdsworth Memorial Hospital, Mysore, India. Anthropometric variables, glucose and insulin concentrations, blood pressure, and fasting lipid concentrations were measured in the offspring at 5 and 9.5 y of age. Muscle-grip strength was measured by using a hand-held dynamometer at age 9.5 y. Arm-muscle area was calculated as a measure of muscle mass. Fasting insulin resistance was calculated by using the homeostasis model assessment equation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-seven percent of women had vitamin D deficiency [serum 25(OH)D concentration <50 nmol/L]. At ages 5 and 9.5 y, children born to vitamin D-deficient mothers had smaller arm-muscle area in comparison with children born to mothers without deficiency (P < 0.05). There was no difference in grip strength between offspring of women with and without vitamin D deficiency. At 9.5 y, children of vitamin D-deficient mothers had higher fasting insulin resistance than did children of nondeficient women (P = 0.04). There were no associations between maternal vitamin D status and other offspring risk factors at either age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intrauterine exposure to low 25(OH)D concentrations is associated with less muscle mass and higher insulin resistance in children.
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology Research Unit, CSI Holdsworth Memorial Hospital, Mysore, India. gv.krishnaveni@gmail.com
authors.forename: Ghattu V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Krishnaveni
authors.forename: Sargoor R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Veena
authors.forename: Nicola R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Winder
authors.forename: Jacqueline C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Noonan
authors.forename: Barbara J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Boucher
authors.forename: Samuel C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Karat
authors.forename: Caroline H D
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Fall
mesh_terms: D015652:25-Hydroxyvitamin D 2 / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D001823:Body Composition; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008297:Male; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D053580:Muscle Strength; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third / Q000097:blood; D012307:Risk Factors; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D015652:25-Hydroxyvitamin D 2