title: Associations of maternal and fetal 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels with childhood eczema: The Generation R Study.
abstract: Exposure to low levels of vitamin D in fetal life might affect the developing immune system, and subsequently the risk of childhood eczema. We examined whether 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in mid-gestation and at birth were associated with the risk of eczema until the age of 4 years.
  
  
  
  In a population-based prospective cohort study of 3019 mothers and their children, maternal blood samples in mid-gestation and umbilical cord blood samples at birth were used to determine 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels (severely deficient <25.0 nmol/l, deficient 25.0-49.9 nmol/l, sufficient 50.0-74.9 nmol/l, optimal ≥75.0 nmol/l). Eczema was prospectively assessed by annual questionnaires until the age of 4 years. Eczema patterns included never, early (age ≤1 year only), late (age >1 year only), and persistent eczema (age ≤ and >1 year). Data were assessed using the generalized estimating equations and multinomial regression models.
  
  
  
  Compared with the optimal 25-hydroxyvitamin D group, sufficient, deficient, and severely deficient groups of 25-hydroxyvitamin D level in mid-gestation were not associated with the risk of overall eczema (odds ratios [95% confidence interval]: 1.09 [0.82, 1.43], 1.04 [0.87, 1.25], and 0.94 [0.81, 1.10], p-values for trend >0.05), nor with eczema per year or eczema patterns in children up to the age of 4 years. Similarly, we observed no associations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D groups at birth with any eczema outcome.
  
  
  
  Our results suggest that levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in mid-gestation and at birth are not associated with the risk of overall eczema, eczema per year, or eczema patterns among children until the age of 4 years.
authors.affiliation: The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.|Department of Pediatrics, Division of Respiratory Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.|Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.|Institute of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Tatjana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gazibara
authors.affiliation: The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.|Department of Dermatology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Niels J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Elbert
authors.affiliation: The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.|Department of Pediatrics, Division of Respiratory Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.|Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Herman T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: den Dekker
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Respiratory Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Johan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: de Jongste
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Irwin
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Reiss
authors.affiliation: Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, Australia.|Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Park Centre for Mental Health, Wacol, Qld, Australia.
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: McGrath
authors.affiliation: Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, Australia.|Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Park Centre for Mental Health, Wacol, Qld, Australia.
authors.forename: Darryl W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Eyles
authors.affiliation: Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, Australia.|Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Park Centre for Mental Health, Wacol, Qld, Australia.
authors.forename: Thomas H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Burne
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.|Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.|Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Henning
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tiemeier
authors.affiliation: The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.|Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.|Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Vincent W V
authors.initials: VW
authors.lastname: Jaddoe
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Suzanne G M A
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Pasmans
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Respiratory Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.|Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.|Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Liesbeth
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Duijts
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004485:Eczema / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000378:metabolism; D005333:Fetus; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D
keywords: 25-hydroxy vitamin D; birth; child; eczema; pregnancy