Abstract
Background
Findings from previous studies on maternal 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels during
pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in offspring are inconsistent.
Methods
The association between maternal 25(OH)D levels during pregnancy and offspring ASD
was examined using data from a nationwide population-based register with a nested
case-control study design. The ASD cases (n = 1558) were born between 1987 and 2004 and received a diagnosis of ASD by 2015;
cases were matched with an equal number of controls. Maternal 25(OH)D levels during
pregnancy were measured using quantitative immunoassay from maternal sera collected
during the first and early second trimesters and archived in the national biobank
of the Finnish Maternity Cohort. Conditional logistic regression examined the association
between maternal 25(OH)D levels and offspring ASD.
Results
In the adjusted model, there was a significant association between increasing log-transformed
maternal 25(OH)D levels and decreasing risk of offspring ASD (adjusted odds ratio
[aOR] 0.75, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.62–0.92, p = .005). Analyses by quintiles of maternal 25(OH)D levels revealed increased odds
for ASD in the 2 lowest quintiles, <20 (aOR 1.36, 95% CI 1.03–1.79, p = .02) and 20–39 (aOR 1.31, 95% CI 1.01–1.70, p = .04), compared with the highest quintile. The increased risk of ASD was observed
in association with deficient (<30 nmol/L) (aOR 1.44, 95% CI 1.15–1.81, p = .001) and insufficient (30–49.9 nmol/L) maternal 25(OH)D levels (aOR 1.26, 95%
CI 1.04–1.52, p = .01) compared with sufficient levels.
Conclusions
This finding has implications for understanding the role of maternal vitamin D during
fetal brain development and increased risk of ASD.
Keywords
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: July 20, 2021
Accepted:
July 14,
2021
Received in revised form:
July 14,
2021
Received:
April 20,
2021
Identification
Copyright
© 2021 Society of Biological Psychiatry.
