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Cavities are a major problem in young children: in the Netherlands, a quarter of all five-year-olds suffer from them. But there is also good news. Sufficient vitamin D during pregnancy appears to reduce the risk of cavities in your child.
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A Chinese study shows that pregnant women with low vitamin D levels are more likely to have children with cavities. The greater the deficiency, the greater the risk of cavities appears to be.
No causal link
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However, Yunxian Yu, one of the authors of the study, emphasizes that the research shows a connection, but it is not certain that this is also the cause. “The study cannot prove that low vitamin D levels directly cause cavities, nor can it confirm that supplementation prevents them,” Yu tells Scientias. “This requires intervention studies.”
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The effect is also smaller than that of better-known risk factors. “This effect is meaningful but usually smaller than that of, for example, frequent sugar intake or poor brushing habits, which often double or triple the risk.”
Development of the teeth
Yet vitamin D plays an important role. The vitamin, best known as the sunshine vitamin, is not only good for your bones, but also for the development of teeth in the womb. During pregnancy, the baby teeth begin to harden. If there is too little vitamin D, the enamel can become weaker, which increases the risk of cavities later.
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Accurate method
The researchers measured the vitamin D levels of pregnant women at three times: in the first, second and third trimester. They used liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, which according to Yu is the most accurate method for measuring vitamin D in the blood. After birth, the children were regularly examined by dentists until the age of six.
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It showed that children of mothers with lower vitamin D levels had more cavities. “In the second trimester, each one-unit decrease in 25(OH)D (the form of vitamin D that is measured in the blood to determine whether you have a vitamin D deficiency, ed.) was associated with about a 2 percent higher risk of cavities in the child; in the third trimester, about 1 percent,” Yu explains.
Advice for expectant parents
Yu emphasizes that expectant parents would do well to maintain their vitamin D levels. This can be done through safe exposure to sunlight, nutrition or supplements, both before and during pregnancy and in childhood.
Whether vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy can actually prevent cavities remains to be determined by further research. The researchers are now collecting additional data on factors that they had not previously included, such as children’s brushing habits, sugar intake and fluoride use. On this basis they want to set up intervention studies.
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And did you know that there is a social media trend that is damaging your children’s teeth? You can read what this trend is here.
This article was written by the editors of Kek Mama and is intended for informational purposes. We are not doctors. If you have any doubts or health problems, we recommend that you always consult a doctor or medical specialist.
Bron: The sciences
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