Author: Aldiyarbek Nurlan
Translator: Tursunova Balkadisha
Editor: Aigerim Akhmetova
Vitamin D is an important nutrient and performs many important functions in the body. The mother's supply of vitamin D is passed on to the baby in the womb, and helps regulate processes including brain development.
Researchers say vitamin d deficiency is common in the General population, as well as among pregnant women, but notes that dark-skinned women are at greater risk.
According to researchers, up to 80% of pregnant black women in the United States may be deficient in vitamin D. Of the women in the study, approximately 46% of mothers were deficient in vitamin D during pregnancy, and vitamin D levels were lower among black women compared to white women.
The researchers used data from a Tennessee cohort called "Conditions affecting neurocognitive development and early childhood learning" (CANDLE). The team recruited pregnant women to participate in the study starting in 2006, and over time collected information about their children's health and development. After accounting for several other IQ-related factors, higher vitamin D levels during pregnancy were associated with higher IQ in children aged 4 to 6 years.
"Vitamin D deficiency is very common," the researchers said. "The good news is that there is a relatively simple solution. Getting enough vitamin D through a diet can be difficult, and not everyone can fill this gap by staying in the sun, so it's a good decision to take supplements."
Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/11/201102142242.htm
