| Many parents gaze at their newborn and wonder | | | | pregnancy in the summer or early fall is able to |
| if their child will be tall and strong. But no matter | | | | get more vitamin D from sunlight just because |
| what Mom and Dad bring to the genetic equation, | | | | she is able to be outside more readily exposed to |
| there are likely other factors that influence adult | | | | the sun. |
| size like the time of year and whether he or she | | | | What's more, vitamin D deficiency is increasingly |
| falls into the summer babies group. | | | | common even in healthy pregnant women. |
| This intriguing new work suggests that the time | | | | Experts believe the current recommendation for |
| of year your baby is born might have something | | | | pregnant women of 200 to 400 IUs of vitamin D |
| to do with his or her future height and strength. | | | | a day is too low. |
| Making use of the wealth of data from the | | | | Ongoing work by the Arthritis Research Campaign |
| Children of the 90s Project, the Bristol University | | | | involves a trial giving vitamin D supplements to |
| researchers studied babies born in 1991 and 1992, | | | | mothers while they're pregnant to see if this |
| over 7,000 in all. | | | | increases the bone density of the babies when |
| These infants were measured at birth and given a | | | | they're born and follows these children into |
| DXA scan at ten years old to measure bone | | | | childhood, perhaps even their later years. |
| density. | | | | The hope is that supplementing during pregnancy |
| The team also looked at weather data from both | | | | reduces the child's risk of developing osteoporosis |
| years to account for the possible sun exposure | | | | later in life. |
| of the mothers. | | | | While you're waiting for the results of this study, |
| Some of the women supplied blood samples to | | | | any woman whose baby is due between |
| check their vitamin D levels during their pregnancy. | | | | November and May, when natural sunlight levels |
| Interestingly, the blood tests aligned closely with | | | | are very low, might even things out by taking a |
| the weather data. | | | | vitamin D supplement during her pregnancy. |
| What the research found was that by 10 years | | | | Research has shown that during the winter the |
| old the children born in the summer and fall | | | | latitudes of 52 degrees north don't have the |
| months were an average half a centimeter (0.2 | | | | ultraviolet light of the right wavelength for the |
| inches) taller and had almost 13 cm2 of extra | | | | body to use in making vitamin D. |
| bone area than those born in the spring or winter. | | | | And since most western diets don't supply the |
| The wider bone area is an accepted indication of | | | | amount the body needs - even with choices like |
| strength. And while taller people generally have | | | | fortified cereals, milk, fish and eggs - making that |
| wider bones, these children's bones were sized | | | | extra effort to get enough is important for both |
| over and above what they should have been for | | | | mom and baby. |
| their height. | | | | You may remember from previous emails on |
| Professor of rheumatology Jon Tobias, a | | | | Vitamin D, that it's not just pregnant women who |
| researcher with the project explains, "Wider | | | | should ensure they get sufficient Vitamin D. |
| bones are thought to be stronger and less prone | | | | This vital nutrient is also known to be important in |
| to breaking as a result of osteoporosis in later life, | | | | keeping bones healthy and helping strengthen the |
| so anything that affects early bone development | | | | immune system. It's even been linked to the |
| is significant." | | | | prevention of cancers like colon, breast and |
| The researchers theorize the size difference may | | | | ovarian and might help hold off the mental decline |
| come from the mothers' sun exposure. | | | | that can affect people as they age. |
| You've heard that your body naturally makes | | | | Of course you'll want to talk with your own |
| vitamin D from sunlight, and the study suggests | | | | doctor to decide if vitamin D supplements are |
| that this process may be occurring for the | | | | right for you before you start do anything |
| developing baby as well as the mother. | | | | whether you're expecting summer babies or not. |
| A woman who goes through the later stage of | | | | |