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Influence of Maternal Prenatal Vitamin D Status on Infant Oral Health

Influence of Maternal Prenatal Vitamin D Status on Infant Oral Health

Influence of Maternal Prenatal Vitamin D Status on Infant Oral Health

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factors determine whether this data will help shape early childhood oral health policy in<br />

Manitoba. C<strong>on</strong>sidering that ECC has garnered tremendous negative attenti<strong>on</strong> for the<br />

provincial government and that treatment approaches are costly the current envir<strong>on</strong>ment<br />

in the province may be receptive to affordable preventive strategies to curb the scourge <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

ECC. In fact, the former Minister <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>Health</strong> for the province <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Manitoba was aware <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

the potential <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> inadequate vitamin D c<strong>on</strong>centrati<strong>on</strong>s during pregnancy and dental decay<br />

am<strong>on</strong>g infants (Unscheduled Speech by Manitoba Minister <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>Health</strong> Tim Sale at the<br />

C<strong>on</strong>ference <strong>on</strong> Wait Times - January 16, 2006). This coupled with the recent MACHS<br />

Task Force Report suggests that decisi<strong>on</strong>-makers in this province are open to early<br />

preventive approaches beginning during pregnancy to improve childhood health. In<br />

additi<strong>on</strong>, such a partnership as menti<strong>on</strong>ed above does exist with the HSHC project, which<br />

has caught the provincial government’s attenti<strong>on</strong> and has prompted a commitment to<br />

improving the oral health <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> children in this province. 33,34<br />

Results <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> this study reveal that many expectant women in Manitoba have low<br />

vitamin D levels during pregnancy. This is <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> great c<strong>on</strong>cern as the developing fetus is<br />

dependent <strong>on</strong> the mother to meet its requirements for proper growth and development.<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>Maternal</str<strong>on</strong>g> 25(OH)D c<strong>on</strong>centrati<strong>on</strong>s were influenced by ethnicity, educati<strong>on</strong>, milk intake,<br />

seas<strong>on</strong>, and intake <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> prenatal vitamins. While no direct associati<strong>on</strong> between enamel<br />

hypoplasia was found following logistic regressi<strong>on</strong> analyses, the relati<strong>on</strong>ship is still<br />

plausible. Although mothers <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> infants with enamel hypoplasia had lower 25(OH)D<br />

levels than those who did not exhibit these defects, this just failed to reach the threshold<br />

established for significance in this study (p=.072). However, we did determine that<br />

prenatal calcium levels are associated with enamel hypoplasia in their <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fspring.<br />

6-35

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