January 29, 2020Low vitamin D levels during pregnancy increase the risk of ADHD diagnosis in childhood, according to a study from The Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.
This is the first study to investigate the impact of maternal vitamin D levels on formally diagnosed cases of ADHD in children.1Researchers identified many covariates associated with ADHD in offspring, including maternal age, self-reported smoking, socioeconomic status, immigrant status, and substance abuse.
Additionally, paternal and maternal ADHD diagnosis and psychopathology were associated with ADHD, as were offspring gestational age and weight for gestational age (WGA).
Even after controlling for all of these covariates, the results of this study demonstrate a significant relationship between lower maternal vitamin D and ADHD diagnosis in children.1The nationwide, population-based, case-control study surveyed 1,067 participants with ADHD and 1,067 control participants.