A groundbreaking study has revealed a significant association between low vitamin D levels at birth and an elevated risk of developing neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and schizophrenia later in life.

Conducted by researchers from the University of Queensland’s Queensland Brain Institute, in collaboration with Aarhus University and the State Serum Institute in Denmark, the study analyzed health data from 71,793 individuals born between 1981 and 2005. The findings indicate that newborns with vitamin D deficiency had a higher likelihood of being diagnosed with these mental health conditions during childhood or early adulthood.

Professor John McGrath, who led the study, emphasized the importance of vitamin D in early brain development. He noted that while previous research had linked neonatal vitamin D deficiency to schizophrenia and autism, this extensive study also found associations with ADHD. The research suggests that ensuring adequate vitamin D levels during pregnancy and early life could potentially reduce the risk of these disorders.

Given that vitamin D deficiency is common among pregnant women worldwide, the study underscores the potential benefits of vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy and early infancy. This preventive measure could be as crucial as folate supplementation in reducing the risk of certain developmental disorders.

The full study is published in The Lancet Psychiatry.