Newborns with more vitamin D are healthier than those with lower levels, according to a new study recently conducted by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital.
The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, expanded on earlier work that discovered that children born to mothers who took vitamin D supplements during their pregnancy were less likely to develop respiratory infections and wheezing during their youth.
To find a more concrete correlation researchers examined the vitamin D levels of 922 children, extracted from cord blood samples collected during an earlier study. They also had the babies’ mothers periodically fill out surveys about their children’s health until they turned 5 years old.
Babies with lower vitamin D levels at birth have a higher risk of developing wheezing and 20 percent were twice as likely to contract respiratory infections during their first three months of life.
Also studies have been shown that newborns suffering from severe Vitamin D loss, can cause seizures. Generally those with a Vitamin D deficiency that reach the 6 months can develop rickets, adapting to the deficiency by pulling calcium from their bones. Nursing mothers should also be supplementing with Vitamin D since breast mild does not contain enough. Baby formula contains very little.
According to Harvard Medical, Vitamin D has a well-established role in maintaining calcium levels in the body and in building strong bones. Their latest research suggests that vitamin D deficiency may also be linked to heart disease. We checked the vitamin D blood levels in men who were healthy, and then followed them for 10 years. Men who were deficient in vitamin D were twice as likely tohave a heart attack as men who had adequate levels of vitamin D
Certain vitamin deficiency’s such as B12 can cause anemia and can affect life insurance rates. Most rates are based on how long you have had the deficiency,how severe it is and if it is coupled with other conditions. But remember any kind of vitamin deficiency can increase your risk for illness.