Lower levels of maternal vitamin D during pregnancy were associated with increased odds of early childhood caries in babies in a new study.
Researchers from Zhejiang University tested the blood of more than 4,000 pregnant people during each trimester and 42 days postpartum. Their babies then attended follow-up appointments up to the age of five, where they were given physical examinations.
The study reports a ‘consistent’ link between lower levels of vitamin D in pregnancy and higher incidence of early childhood caries. This was particularly prevalent where vitamin levels were low in the second and third trimesters.
The link is likely due to the importance of vitamin D in foetal tooth mineralisation during the 13th to 17th weeks of pregnancy.
The study’s authors said that their findings suggest that vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy, and even before conception, may lessen the risk and severity of childhood dental caries.
Early childhood caries is named as an ‘important public health concern’, affecting 23.8% of children under three and 57.3% of those aged between three and six worldwide.
The study was published on JAMA Network Open in December.
What other factors affect dental development during pregnancy?
In August, a literature review considered the association of various dental development disorders with smoking during pregnancy. Hypodontia, or teeth failing to develop, was found to be more common in babies whose mother had smoked while pregnant.
Similarly, smoking during pregnancy was highly associated with enamel hypoplasia (insufficient or missing enamel). This was particularly pronounced in cases of smoking during the second and third trimesters.
On the other hand, most of the studies did not find a strong link between smoking during pregnancy and tooth eruption patterns. While it has been hypothesised that smoking during the first trimester may accelerate tooth eruption, the evidence surveyed in the review did not support this.
The review’s authors suggest that as smoking reduces oxygen flow to the placenta, it can negatively impact the cells responsible for forming deciduous teeth. Nicotine can also disrupt the development of enamel and dentine, resulting in hypomineralisation and enamel defects.
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