Vitamin D deficiency associated with neurodevelopmental problems in 2-year-old Japanese boys

Kahoko Yasumitsu-Lovell; Lucy Thompson; Elisabeth Fernell; Masamitsu Eitoku; Narufurmi Suganuma; Christopher Gillberg; Japan Environment and Children’s Study Group

doi:10.1111/apa.16998

Vitamin D deficiency associated with neurodevelopmental problems in 2-year-old Japanese boys

Kahoko Yasumitsu-Lovell^* (Corresponding Author), Lucy Thompson, Elisabeth Fernell, Masamitsu Eitoku, Narufurmi Suganuma, Christopher Gillberg, Japan Environment and Children’s Study Group

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

AIM: While associations between vitamin D deficiency and neurodevelopmental disorders have been found, large studies on child vitamin D, neurodevelopment, and sex differences among the general population are lacking. This study aimed to investigate the association between child serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D)) levels and neurodevelopmental problems (NDPs).

METHODS: Serum 25(OH)D and NDPs were measured at age two among the subcohort study of the Japan Environment and Children's Study. NDPs were assessed with the Kyoto Scale of Psychological Development 2001 (Kyoto scale). Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for the Kyoto-scale developmental quotient scores <70 were calculated, for postural-motor, cognitive-adaptive, and language-social domains and overall scores, adjusted for test month, latitude, small for gestational age, maternal age, and daycare attendance.

RESULTS: Among 2363 boys and 2290 girls, boys had higher 25(OH)D levels, but scored lower in the Kyoto scale. For boys in the vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/mL) group, aORs of scoring the Kyoto-scale DQs <70 were 2.33 (p = 0.006) for overall DQs, 1.91 (p = 0.037) for cognitive-adaptive, and 1.69 (p = 0.024) for language-social domains. For girls, results were inconclusive.

CONCLUSION: Only boys showed a clear and cross-modal association between vitamin D deficiency and NDPs.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	119-126
Number of pages	8
Journal	Acta Paediatrica
Volume	113
Issue number	1
Early online date	19 Oct 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/apa.16998
Publication status	Published - Jan 2024

Bibliographical note

Acknowledgements
The authors thank the JECS participants, as well as Nagamasa Maeda and Mikiya Fujieda of the Kochi Regional Centre of the JECS, and Ingrid Vinsa at the Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre.

Funding information
The Japan Environment and Children's Study was funded by the Ministry of Environment, Japan

Data Availability Statement

Supporting information
Additional supporting information can be found online in the Supporting Information section at the end of this article.

Keywords

Japan Environment and Children's Study
Kyoto Scale of Psychological Development 2001
neurodevelopmental problems
sex differences
vitamin D deficiency

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Cite this

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title = "Vitamin D deficiency associated with neurodevelopmental problems in 2-year-old Japanese boys",

abstract = "AIM: While associations between vitamin D deficiency and neurodevelopmental disorders have been found, large studies on child vitamin D, neurodevelopment, and sex differences among the general population are lacking. This study aimed to investigate the association between child serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D)) levels and neurodevelopmental problems (NDPs).METHODS: Serum 25(OH)D and NDPs were measured at age two among the subcohort study of the Japan Environment and Children's Study. NDPs were assessed with the Kyoto Scale of Psychological Development 2001 (Kyoto scale). Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for the Kyoto-scale developmental quotient scores <70 were calculated, for postural-motor, cognitive-adaptive, and language-social domains and overall scores, adjusted for test month, latitude, small for gestational age, maternal age, and daycare attendance.RESULTS: Among 2363 boys and 2290 girls, boys had higher 25(OH)D levels, but scored lower in the Kyoto scale. For boys in the vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/mL) group, aORs of scoring the Kyoto-scale DQs <70 were 2.33 (p = 0.006) for overall DQs, 1.91 (p = 0.037) for cognitive-adaptive, and 1.69 (p = 0.024) for language-social domains. For girls, results were inconclusive.CONCLUSION: Only boys showed a clear and cross-modal association between vitamin D deficiency and NDPs.",

keywords = "Japan Environment and Children's Study, Kyoto Scale of Psychological Development 2001, neurodevelopmental problems, sex differences, vitamin D deficiency",

author = "Kahoko Yasumitsu-Lovell and Lucy Thompson and Elisabeth Fernell and Masamitsu Eitoku and Narufurmi Suganuma and Christopher Gillberg and {Japan Environment and Children{\textquoteright}s Study Group}",

note = "Acknowledgements The authors thank the JECS participants, as well as Nagamasa Maeda and Mikiya Fujieda of the Kochi Regional Centre of the JECS, and Ingrid Vinsa at the Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre. Funding information The Japan Environment and Children's Study was funded by the Ministry of Environment, Japan",

year = "2024",

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T1 - Vitamin D deficiency associated with neurodevelopmental problems in 2-year-old Japanese boys

AU - Yasumitsu-Lovell, Kahoko

AU - Thompson, Lucy

AU - Fernell, Elisabeth

AU - Eitoku, Masamitsu

AU - Suganuma, Narufurmi

AU - Gillberg, Christopher

AU - Japan Environment and Children’s Study Group

N1 - Acknowledgements The authors thank the JECS participants, as well as Nagamasa Maeda and Mikiya Fujieda of the Kochi Regional Centre of the JECS, and Ingrid Vinsa at the Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre. Funding information The Japan Environment and Children's Study was funded by the Ministry of Environment, Japan

PY - 2024/1

Y1 - 2024/1

N2 - AIM: While associations between vitamin D deficiency and neurodevelopmental disorders have been found, large studies on child vitamin D, neurodevelopment, and sex differences among the general population are lacking. This study aimed to investigate the association between child serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D)) levels and neurodevelopmental problems (NDPs).METHODS: Serum 25(OH)D and NDPs were measured at age two among the subcohort study of the Japan Environment and Children's Study. NDPs were assessed with the Kyoto Scale of Psychological Development 2001 (Kyoto scale). Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for the Kyoto-scale developmental quotient scores <70 were calculated, for postural-motor, cognitive-adaptive, and language-social domains and overall scores, adjusted for test month, latitude, small for gestational age, maternal age, and daycare attendance.RESULTS: Among 2363 boys and 2290 girls, boys had higher 25(OH)D levels, but scored lower in the Kyoto scale. For boys in the vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/mL) group, aORs of scoring the Kyoto-scale DQs <70 were 2.33 (p = 0.006) for overall DQs, 1.91 (p = 0.037) for cognitive-adaptive, and 1.69 (p = 0.024) for language-social domains. For girls, results were inconclusive.CONCLUSION: Only boys showed a clear and cross-modal association between vitamin D deficiency and NDPs.

AB - AIM: While associations between vitamin D deficiency and neurodevelopmental disorders have been found, large studies on child vitamin D, neurodevelopment, and sex differences among the general population are lacking. This study aimed to investigate the association between child serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D)) levels and neurodevelopmental problems (NDPs).METHODS: Serum 25(OH)D and NDPs were measured at age two among the subcohort study of the Japan Environment and Children's Study. NDPs were assessed with the Kyoto Scale of Psychological Development 2001 (Kyoto scale). Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for the Kyoto-scale developmental quotient scores <70 were calculated, for postural-motor, cognitive-adaptive, and language-social domains and overall scores, adjusted for test month, latitude, small for gestational age, maternal age, and daycare attendance.RESULTS: Among 2363 boys and 2290 girls, boys had higher 25(OH)D levels, but scored lower in the Kyoto scale. For boys in the vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/mL) group, aORs of scoring the Kyoto-scale DQs <70 were 2.33 (p = 0.006) for overall DQs, 1.91 (p = 0.037) for cognitive-adaptive, and 1.69 (p = 0.024) for language-social domains. For girls, results were inconclusive.CONCLUSION: Only boys showed a clear and cross-modal association between vitamin D deficiency and NDPs.

KW - Japan Environment and Children's Study

KW - Kyoto Scale of Psychological Development 2001

KW - neurodevelopmental problems

KW - sex differences

KW - vitamin D deficiency

U2 - 10.1111/apa.16998

DO - 10.1111/apa.16998

M3 - Article

C2 - 37859528

SN - 0803-5253

VL - 113

SP - 119

EP - 126

JO - Acta Paediatrica

JF - Acta Paediatrica

IS - 1

ER -

Vitamin D deficiency associated with neurodevelopmental problems in 2-year-old Japanese boys

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Data Availability Statement

Keywords

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