title: Association of cord blood vitamin D with early childhood growth and neurodevelopment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The association between fetal vitamin D [25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D)] exposure and early child growth and neurodevelopment is controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between cord blood 25(OH)D and birth size, childhood growth and neurodevelopment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cord blood samples from 1040 Australian women enrolled in a randomised trial of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation during pregnancy were analysed for 25(OH)D using mass spectroscopy. Infant length, weight and head circumference were measured at delivery. A sub-sample of 337 infants with cord blood samples were selected for growth and neurodevelopment assessment at 18 months and 4 years of age. Associations between standardised 25(OH)D and outcomes were assessed, taking into account DHA treatment, social and demographic variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Standardised 25(OH)D in cord blood was not associated with length, weight or head circumference at birth, 18 months or 4 years of age. 25(OH)D was not associated with cognitive, motor, social-emotional or adaptive behaviour scores at 18 months, or cognitive score at 4 years of age. A 10 nmol/L increase in cord blood 25(OH)D was associated with a modest increase in average Language scores of 0.60 points at 18 months (adjusted 95% CI 0.04-1.17, P = .04) and 0.68 points at 4 years (adjusted 95% CI 0.07-1.29, P = .03) of age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cord blood vitamin D was modestly, positively associated with language development in early childhood in our sample, although the magnitude of the association was small. Randomised controlled trials are needed to confirm a causal association and establish the potential clinical significance of the relationship between vitamin D status and language development.
authors: Child Nutrition Research Centre, Women's and Children's Health Research Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.|Healthy Mothers, Babies and Children, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors: Jacqueline F
authors: JF
authors: Gould
authors: Child Nutrition Research Centre, Women's and Children's Health Research Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.|Healthy Mothers, Babies and Children, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors: Amanda J
authors: AJ
authors: Anderson
authors: Child Nutrition Research Centre, Women's and Children's Health Research Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.|School of Population Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors: Lisa N
authors: LN
authors: Yelland
authors: School of Population Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors: Lisa G
authors: LG
authors: Smithers
authors: Department of Human Nutrition, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors: C Murray
authors: CM
authors: Skeaff
authors: Child Nutrition Research Centre, Women's and Children's Health Research Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.|FOODplus Research Centre, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors: Shao J
authors: SJ
authors: Zhou
authors: Child Nutrition Research Centre, Women's and Children's Health Research Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.|Healthy Mothers, Babies and Children, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.|FOODplus Research Centre, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors: Robert A
authors: RA
authors: Gibson
authors: Child Nutrition Research Centre, Women's and Children's Health Research Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.|Healthy Mothers, Babies and Children, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.|Department of Human Nutrition, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Makrides
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D002657:Child Development / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition; D005312:Fetal Blood; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009035:Mothers; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D
keywords: cognition; cord blood; infant growth; language development; vitamin D