Mothers’ low vitamin D intake during their pregnancy endangers their babies as far as their teeth are concerned. A low level of the vitamin in women heavy with child leads to an increased risk of tooth decay early in the infant’s childhood, as well as a higher probability of developing cavities at an early age.

Vitamin D levels in the body are connected with the quantity of milk the mother consumes and the frequency she administers her pre-natal vitamin. A recent study has been carried out by researchers from the University of Manitoba. They examined the vitamin D concentration of 206 women in their second trimester of pregnancy and discovered that only 21 (10.5 per cent) of them had proper levels. Later on, babies were submitted to medical checks to see if they had enamel defects.

Researchers noticed that 22 percent of the infants had these deficiencies and 33 percent had early childhood tooth decay. Mothers of children with these problems did have significantly lower vitamin D levels during pregnancy than those whose children were cavity free and without enamel defects.

This study, regarded as the first to establish a link between a mother’s vitamin D intake during pregnancy and the condition of her child’s teeth, was funded by the Dairy Farmers of Canada, the Dentistry Canada Fund, the Manitoba Institute of Child Health, the Manitoba Medical Service Foundation, and the University of Manitoba. The results of the report were presented to the International Association for Dental Research, in Toronto, during its 86th general session.