Influence of Maternal Prenatal Vitamin D Status on Infant Oral Health

elationship between the two. Poisson regression was used to assess the relationship
between infant caries rates (dt score) and maternal 25(OH)D levels.
Multiple regression was used to identify those variables that were significantly
associated with 25(OH)D levels and logistic regression analysis was performed to
identify those variables strongly associated with the presence <strong>of</strong> enamel hypoplasia and
ECC. Additionally, Poisson regression was also used to identify variables associated with
the untreated dental caries rate (dt).
Since the number <strong>of</strong> maternal-infant dyads taking part in this prospective cohort
was small numerous logistic and multiple regression analyses were undertaken to prevent
over-fitting <strong>of</strong> the models and avoid potential false associations. These small models for
25(OH)D were based upon themes <strong>of</strong> serum metabolites, prenatal health and health care,
SES, and factors that affect endogenous and exogenous vitamin D attainment.
Meanwhile, small regression models for enamel hypoplasia focused on serum
metabolites, maternal awareness <strong>of</strong> calcium and vitamin D, prenatal care and diet, SES
and ethnicity, and infant birth characteristics and health. Lastly, models for ECC were
based upon themes <strong>of</strong> serum metabolites, factors influencing vitamin D status, infant
feeding practices, SES, and dental status and dental behaviours.
For continuous variables in the regression models, odds ratios and confidence
intervals were calculated to reflect a change in one standard deviation unit <strong>of</strong> the variable.
For instance, odds ratios for 25(OH)D and calcium reflected a one unit standard deviation
change in their measure, nmol/L.
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