Exposure to Pollution Leads to Lower Vitamin D Levels in Newborns

According to the findings of a forthcoming paper for the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM), the journal of the Endocrine Society, pregnant women exposed to air pollution may have a distinct and profound effect on their children.

Researchers led by Nour Baïz of the Intitut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) in Paris, France found that exposure to ambient urban air pollution can contribute to vitamin D deficiencies in children, especially when the exposure occurs late in the pregnancy.

The research team looked at 375 pairs of mothers and children and looked for links between gestational exposure to urban air pollutants and 25-hydroxyvitamin D cord blood serum levels.

In this study, researchers investigated the associations between in 375 mother-child pairs. They determined that exposure to urban levels of nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter less than 10 micro meters for the duration of the pregnancy proved to be a strong predictor of low vitamin D levels in newborns.

"Our findings show for the first time, that exposure to ambient air pollution comparable to current World Health Organization standards might contribute to vitamin D deficiency in newborns," said Baïz.

Source: Medical News Today