Low vitamin D levels in pregnant women could be linked to cavities in toddlers.
Past studies have shown that vitamin D deficiencies in pregnant mothers increased their future children's risk of defects in tooth enamel, Reuters reported.
To make their findings the researchers measured vitamin D levels in pregnant women in their second or third trimester in 207 women and looked at the teeth in 135 of their children who were around 16 months old. The women were recruited from a low-income area.
About one-third of the women had vitamin D levels that were considered too low; between 23 and 36 percent of the toddlers had cavities.
The researchers determined that women with lower vitamin D levels were more likely to have a child who suffered from cavities early-on. The finding suggests that improving prenatal nutrition could help promote oral health in offspring.
"Prevention efforts should begin during pregnancy by bolstering maternal nutrition, either through improved dietary intake or supplementation with vitamin D," the researchers said, Reuters reported.
"All pregnant and nursing women need to take [4,000 [to] 5,000] (International Units per day) vitamin D3. There are many benefits for pregnancy outcomes including reduced risk of gestational diabetes, respiratory and other infections, premature delivery, pre-eclampsia, adverse effects on the fetus such as birth defects including very possibly autism," William B. Grant from the Sunlight, Nutrition and Health Research Center, told Reuters.
Another research believes all pregnant do not require vitamin D supplements.
"In place of supplementation, I would recommend maintaining proper vitamin D levels during pregnancy the natural way - enjoy the sun, choose foods such as wild salmon, ahi tuna, mushrooms and eggs. Additionally, reducing carbohydrate intake will reduce the body's need for vitamin D," Doctor Philippe P. Hujoel from the University of Washington School of Dentistry told Reuters.
"Avoid sugar. It is a necessary fuel for dental cavities and it burns up vitamin D," he said.
