Infants lacking vitamin D at higher risk of ADHD, autism and schizophrenia

New research has found that newborn babies with vitamin D deficiency are at greater risk of developing attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and schizophrenia. It suggests that mothers supplementing vitamin D during pregnancy could reduce these risks.

The University of Queensland, Australia, researchers examined 71,793 people — “the largest population study of its kind” — who were diagnosed with mental health disorders in childhood and early adulthood. 

“Previous research had linked neonatal vitamin D deficiency with an increased risk of schizophrenia and autism, but this study examined a wider range of mental disorders, and included evidence based on two vitamin D-related biomarkers and related genetics,” says lead researcher professor John McGrath from the university’s Queensland Brain Institute.

Vitamin D’s importance

McGrath’s team screened for six mental disorders. Others include major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and anorexia nervosa.

“Vitamin D is important for a baby’s brain development, and low vitamin D levels are common in pregnant women across the globe,” he adds. “This is why many countries recommended the use of vitamin D supplements during pregnancy.”

“Similar to how folate supplements are recommended during pregnancy to prevent spina bifida, our research suggests that optimizing vitamin D levels in early life may reduce the risk of several neurodevelopmental disorders.”

The research, published in The Lancet Psychiatry, analyzed people’s data from the iPSYCH study, founded in 2012 to investigate mental disorders in Denmark.

Prenatal and maternal health in spotlight 

In other research, a Danish study discovered a “strong link” between Western diet during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental disorders, such as ADHD and autism in children. 

Prenatal diet — particularly in the third trimester — was found to influence the risk of mental health disorders in the child, research from Oregon Health & Science University suggested. 

Other research claimed that over 90% of pregnant individuals may lack key nutrients in their diets. On this topic, Nutrition Insight spoke to industry experts, highlighting ongoing global nutritional deficiencies in women of childbearing age and infants, which can impact pregnancy and postpartum recovery, fetal development, and lactation.