Vitamin D status during pregnancy could impact early oral health
Recent findings have indicated that maternal vitamin D deficiency could raise the risk of dental caries in early childhood as research continues to observe a high prevalence of low vitamin D levels across populations globally, according to a news article from Oral Health.
In the study, published in JAMA Network Open, investigators examined the plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels of mothers during each trimester of pregnancy and oral health outcomes of children among more than 4,100 mother-child pairs.
The investigators identified a total of nearly 1,000 cases of early childhood dental caries in both groups; however, the risks were higher among those whose mothers had vitamin D deficiencies during pregnancy.
The investigators emphasized that vitamin D status may be a modifiable risk factor in the oral health of children. As a result of the findings, they urged health care providers to integrate vitamin D status screenings into standard prenatal care to reduce the risk of dental caries early in life.
Read more: Oral Health
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