Autism spectrum disorder and low vitamin D at birth: a sibling control study

作者：Fernell Elisabeth; Bejerot Susanne; Westerlund Joakim; Miniscalco Carmela; Simila Henry; Eyles Darryl; Gillberg Christopher; Humble Mats B

来源：Molecular Autism, 2015, 6(1): 3.

DOI：10.1186/2040-2392-6-3

• Autism spectrum disorder
• Vitamin D
• 25-hydroxyvitamin D
• Neonatal
• Dried blood spots

Background: Insufficient vitamin D activity has attracted increasing interest as a possible underlying risk factor in disorders of the central nervous system, including autism.
Methods: In this study, 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH) D) was analysed in 58 Sweden-born sibling pairs, in which one child had autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and the other did not. The study group consisted of two representative samples; 47 Gothenburg sibling pairs with mixed ethnicities and 11 Stockholm sibling pairs with Somali background. 25(OH) D levels were analysed in the stored dried blood spots taken in the neonatal period for metabolic screening.
Results: The collapsed group of children with ASD had significantly lower vitamin D levels (M = 24.0 nM, SD = 19.6) as compared with their siblings (M = 31.9 nM, SD = 27.7), according to a paired samples t-test (P = 0.013). The difference was-most likely-not only accounted for by a difference in season of birth between ASD and non-ASD siblings since the mean 25(OH)D levels differed with similar effect size between the sibling pairs born during winter and summer, respectively. All children with African/Middle East background, both the children with ASD and their non-ASD siblings, had vitamin D deficiency.
Conclusions: The findings suggest that low prenatal vitamin D may act as a risk factor for ASD, however, there is a need for replication with larger samples. Future research should study whether or not adequate supplementation of vitamin D to pregnant women might lower the risk for ASD in the offspring.

• 出版日期2015-1-14