Mothers who don’t get enough vitamin D during pregnancy put their children at increased risk for tooth decay early in their childhood.  The vitamin seems to be important to healthy tooth calcification and a reduction in defects of the child’s tooth enamel, which can increase the risk of developing cavities at an early age.

In a study conducted by researchers at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg and Victoria, Canada, vitamin D levels were measured in 206 women in the second trimester of pregnancy.  Only 10.5% of them had vitamin D levels considered adequate.  Vitamin D levels in the pregnant women were consistent with their intake of milk and prenatal vitamins.

When the children born to the women in the study were examined for dental health at approximately 16 months of age, 21.6% of them exhibited evidence of enamel defect and 33.6% showed evidence of tooth decay.

The mothers of the children with enamel defects had lower concentrations of vitamin D during pregnancy than the mothers of children who showed no signs of enamel defect, although the difference in the mothers’ vitamin D concentrations was considered not significantly different.  The mothers of the children with evidence of early-childhood tooth decay did have significantly lower levels of vitamin D during pregnancy than the mothers of children who were cavity free.  Enamel defects during infancy indicate a significantly increased likelihood of tooth decay developing during early childhood.

This study, thought to be the first to document a connection between a mother’s vitamin D intake during pregnancy and the health 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 findings of the study were presented to the International Association for Dental Research during its 86th general session.