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Jul. 9–Vitamin D deficiency has been linked in recent studies to problems ranging from a greater risk of heart attack among men to a lower likelihood of survival among women with breast cancer. Now a new finding suggests that low levels of vitamin D for pregnant mothers may translate to more cavities for their babies.

Canadian researchers measured vitamin D levels of 206 pregnant women and then examined their infants at a followup appointment. Ninety percent of all the mothers in this largely aboriginal group had inadequate vitamin D concentrations; various other studies have estimated that perhaps half of all Americans are deficient.

About a third of the 135 babies in the study had cavities when they were examined at an average 16 months of age. When the researchers looked back at pregnancy records, they found that the mothers of those infants were significantly more likely to have had lower levels of vitamin D.

Baby teeth begin developing as early as six weeks in utero, and vitamin D is known to be involved with the formation of protective tooth enamel, lead author Robert Schroth explained in a phone interview yesterday. And although that enamel disappears when adult teeth come in, there is evidence that poor dental health follows children into adulthood.

Cognizant of a huge run on vitamin D tests in Canada, Schroth, an assistant professor on the dentistry faculty at the University of Manitoba, does not automatically recommend screening. But he does advise pregnant women to raise the issue with their doctors, to take prenatal vitamins, drink milk fortified with vitamin D and get a “small amount” of sunlight. “I think mums should be aware that prenatal diets can go a long way toward improving [infants'] dental health,” Schroth said.

The study was presented at the recent International Association for Dental Research annual meeting in Toronto. It was funded by several government and medical organizations and the Dairy Farmers of Canada.