Maternal and Neonatal 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels and Infant Early Neurobehavioral Development: A Single-Center Prospective Observational Cohort Study
| Author | Limei Geng | en |
| Author | Maoqiong Chen | en |
| Issued Date | 2026-10-31 | en |
| Abstract | Background: Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent among pregnant women and neonates in low-sunlight regions and may affect early neurodevelopment. However, evidence from regions with a high prevalence of deficiency remains limited, particularly regarding the independent association between neonatal cord blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] status and infant neurobehavior. Objectives: The primary objective of this single-center prospective observational cohort study was to assess the independent association between neonatal cord blood 25(OH)D levels (primary exposure) and early neurobehavioral development, evaluated using the Neonatal Behavioral Neurological Assessment (NBNA) at 1 month and the developmental quotient (DQ) at 6 months. The secondary objectives were to evaluate the correlation between maternal late-pregnancy 25(OH)D levels (secondary exposure) and neonatal 25(OH)D levels; explore the association between maternal late-pregnancy 25(OH)D levels and infant neurodevelopment; and describe changes in infant 25(OH)D levels from birth to 6 months as a descriptive outcome only. Methods: In this prospective observational cohort study, 305 mother–infant pairs from a tertiary hospital in Guiyang were enrolled. Serum 25(OH)D levels were measured using chemiluminescence immunoassay in maternal late-pregnancy blood, neonatal cord blood, and infant blood at 6 months; the 6-month infant measurement was used only for descriptive analysis or as a covariate in sensitivity analyses. Multivariable linear regression models were used to examine the independent associations of neonatal cord blood 25(OH)D (primary exposure) and maternal late-pregnancy 25(OH)D (secondary exposure) with 1-month NBNA and 6-month DQ scores, adjusting for season, maternal age, education, prenatal vitamin D supplementation dose, gestational age, infant sex, and birth weight. Results: Maternal and neonatal 25(OH)D levels were strongly correlated (r = 0.83, P < 0.001). Only 18.4% of pregnant women had sufficient 25(OH)D levels. In unadjusted analyses, 1-month NBNA scores were higher in the sufficient group (38.06 ± 0.43) than in the insufficient (37.30 ± 0.55) and deficient (36.33 ± 0.47) groups (all P < 0.001). At 6 months, DQ was also higher in the sufficient group (96.12 ± 5.51) than in the insufficient (89.22 ± 4.40) and deficient (86.26 ± 2.51) groups (all P < 0.001). After full adjustment, sufficient maternal and neonatal 25(OH)D levels were associated with higher NBNA and DQ scores (all P < 0.001). Maternal age, education, and prenatal vitamin D supplementation dose were associated with neonatal 25(OH)D levels (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Maternal and neonatal 25(OH)D levels were strongly correlated. Higher prenatal and neonatal 25(OH)D levels were associated with more favorable early neurobehavioral development in infants. These observational findings indicate associations rather than causal relationships and underscore the need to monitor and optimize vitamin D status in this low-sunlight region. | en |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.5812/ijpediatr-171687 | en |
| URI | https://brieflands.com/journals/ijp/articles/171687 | en |
| Keyword | 25-Hydroxyvitamin D | en |
| Keyword | Mothers And Infants | en |
| Keyword | Neurobehavioral Development | en |
| Keyword | Newborns | en |
| Keyword | Observational Study | en |
| Publisher | Brieflands | en |
| Title | Maternal and Neonatal 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels and Infant Early Neurobehavioral Development: A Single-Center Prospective Observational Cohort Study | en |
| Type | Research Article | en |
Files
Original bundle
1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
- Name:
- ijp-36-5-171687-publish-pdf.pdf
- Size:
- 619.3 KB
- Format:
- Adobe Portable Document Format
- Description:
- Article/s PDF