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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

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pregnancy may reduce the incidence <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> enamel defects, the missing link is that no<br />

research group has ever attempted to investigate whether circulating serum vitamin D and<br />

calcium levels during periods <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> tooth development with outcomes <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> hypoplasia and<br />

caries. This thesis is the first study to ever attempt to prospectively investigate the<br />

relati<strong>on</strong>ship between maternal 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels during pregnancy<br />

and the presence <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> enamel hypoplasia and ECC in <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fspring.<br />

Findings from the prospective investigati<strong>on</strong> undertaken in this thesis reveal that<br />

vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency were comm<strong>on</strong> in this cohort <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> primarily urban<br />

dwelling Aboriginal pregnant women. Many women were identified to have inadequate<br />

25(OH)D levels; 35.0% were identified to be vitamin D deficient when the former<br />

definiti<strong>on</strong> was applied and as many as 90% had inadequate levels when the new<br />

guidelines were applied. Overall median and mean c<strong>on</strong>centrati<strong>on</strong>s suggest a need to<br />

improve maternal vitamin D levels during pregnancy to promote perinatal health.<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>Prenatal</str<strong>on</strong>g> vitamin D c<strong>on</strong>centrati<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> participants in this study were influenced by<br />

several factors including the ethnic background <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the participant, pers<strong>on</strong>al ratings <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

their health during pregnancy, their intake <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> vitamins during pregnancy, and their<br />

socioec<strong>on</strong>omic status. In particular, Aboriginal women, those who were not part <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a<br />

household where some<strong>on</strong>e was employed full-time, and those who had not completed<br />

high school were significantly more likely to have lower c<strong>on</strong>centrati<strong>on</strong>s. Further, those<br />

who drank milk daily and took prenatal vitamins had significantly higher 25(OH)D<br />

levels, while those who were recruited and sampled during the winter m<strong>on</strong>ths had<br />

significantly lower c<strong>on</strong>centrati<strong>on</strong>s.<br />

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