Children whose mothers were lacking in vitamin D during pregnancy grow up to have weaker bones, according to a study published in tomorrow’s issue of the Lancet. Vitamin D supplements for pregnant women could lead to lasting reduction in fractures related to weaker bones in their children, according to Cyrus Cooper, from the Southampton General Hospital in England. Cooper studied 198 children born in 1991 and 1992 in Southampton who were followed up at the age of nine. Women who took vitamin D supplements and those who were exposed to higher levels of sunshine in pregnancy were less likely to be deficient in vitamin D. Sunlight helps the body make its own vitamin D, which is used to absorb calcium and phosphorus. Food sources of vitamin D include cod liver oil and fish such as salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardines.
