Vitamin D Deficiency During Pregnancy may Increase Autism Risk in Offspring

Rats with Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy and lactation produced offspring that displayed altered social behaviours in adulthood, revealed results of animal study published in the Journal of Endocrinology.

Autism is a lifelong condition that ranges in severity and impacts on how individuals interact and communicate with the world.

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Vitamin D the sunshine vitamin is essential for strong bones. Vitamin D deficiency is reportedly increasing worldwide and cause bone pain and muscle weakness.

‘Kids born to women diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy are more likely to develop autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in later life.’

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Human studies have found that lower levels of maternal Vitamin D during pregnancy are associated with an increased risk of ASD in children. However, the biological mechanisms underpinning this relationship remain unclear.

Differences in social behaviour are a hallmark of numerous human conditions, including ASD.

These findings provide further evidence of the importance of maternal Vitamin D levels during pregnancy for brain development of offspring, the researchers said.

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"Our work reinforces that Vitamin D levels in early life influence brain development and can impact on how the brain functions in later life," said Caitlin Wyrwoll, Assistant Professor at the University of Western Australia.

For the study, the team assessed alterations in markers of brain function and social behaviours of adult rats, born to mothers that were Vitamin D deficient during pregnancy and lactation.

Quiz on Autism
Autism spectrum disorder is a complex genetic disorder that impairs social, behavioral, and communication functions in humans. Autistic people may act, communicate, interact, and learn differently than most other people. ASD usually begins in childhood and can last for the rest of a person's life, though symptoms may improve over time

The results showed that the rats with vitamin D-deficient mothers displayed abnormal social behaviours, altered brain chemistry and impaired learning and memory and displayed altered social behaviours in adulthood.

"However, further work is needed to establish whether these associations also apply to humans," Wyrwoll said.

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Source-IANS