Autism Linked to a Vitamin D Deficiency During Pregnancy

A study published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, found that pregnant women who had low vitamin D levels when they were 20 weeks pregnant, were more likely to have a child who displayed autistic traits by the age of 6.

For the study, researchers analyzed approximately 4,200 blood samples from pregnant women and their children in the Netherlands.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC), about one in 68 children have Autism in the US, which is 4.5 times more common in boys than girls.

In March, the latest autism rate in New Jersey was announced, which is the highest in the nation at one in 47. That rate increased 12% in just the past two years.

Vitamin D:

Vitamin D is referred to as the Sunshine Vitamin. We produce vitamin D in our skin from exposure to sunshine. Vitamin D performs many functions throughout the body and can turn off and turn on thousands of genes. Vitamin D, along with vitamin K2 helps to bring calcium into the bones and teeth. If there is a vitamin D, or a vitamin K2 deficiency, this can lead to calcium being deposited into the wrong areas, such as in blood vessels and in soft tissue.

While prenatal vitamins usually contain 400 IU of vitamin D, that just isn't enough.

Vitamin D influences at least 5,000 human genes. It plays a vital role in the development of the brain and the nervous system, so it is understandable how a vitamin D deficiency could impact autism.

There has also been a link identified between low vitamin D levels in newborns and an increased risk of schizophrenia.

We are in the darker months in the Northern Hemisphere and now is the perfect time to be aware of the signs, symptoms and risk factors of a vitamin D deficiency.

What Foods Contain Vitamin D?

Vitamin D is found predominantly in animal-based foods, such as:

1. Oily fish, such as mackerel, tuna and salmon

2. Egg yolks

3. Cheese

4. Beef liver (get organic)

5. Fish oil

6. Fortified foods, such as milk

Why Else Is Vitamin D So Important?

An extreme lack of vitamin D, can cause a disease called rickets. When someone has rickets, their bone tissue fails to fully mineralize. Their bones are soft, can bend and distort. Most people in the western world, won’t develop a vitamin D deficiency that is extreme enough to cause rickets, however, suboptimal Vitamin D levels can still impact our bone formation to a lesser degree. Vitamin D assists with a huge range of biological functions, such as fighting cancer, cell growth, immunity, neuromuscular activities and reduced inflammation.

A Chronic Vitamin D Deficiency Can Also Lead To:

1. Heart disease

2. Some cancers, particularly bowel

3. Asthma in children

4. Cognitive impairment in the elderly

5. Mental health issues, including depression and schizophrenia

6. Malfunction of the immune system

Having Ample Vitamin D Can Help to Prevent:

1. Glucose intolerance

2. Diabetes

3. High blood pressure

4. Hip fracture and broken bones

5. Osteopenia and osteoporosis

Signs of a Vitamin D Deficiency:

1. It is winter and you live in the northern latitudes

2. You have achy bones

3. You have a gastrointestinal disease, or issues with absorption

4. You have muscle fatigue

5. You have the blues

6. You follow a strict vegan diet

7. You are frequently catching colds or the flu

8. You spend a lot of times indoors

9. When you are outside, you have very little exposed skin

10. Your body mass index (BMI) is over 30. Your BMI is your weight in kilograms, divided by your height in meters, squared.

11. Your skin is naturally dark

12. You are over 70 years old

13. Your forehead sweats a lot, especially while you are sleeping

Testing For Vitamin D Deficiency:

A great way to test your vitamin D level is the 25-hydroxy vitamin D blood test. A level of 20 nanograms/milliliter to 50 ng/mL is considered adequate for healthy people. A level less than 12 ng/mL indicates an extreme vitamin D deficiency. I prefer levels between 50 - 100 ng/mL, especially in pregnant women. I have seen vitamin D deficiencies for some of my patients in the single digits.

What To Do If You Are Vitamin D Deficient:

By far, the sun is the best source of vitamin D. As soon as your skin turns the lightest shade of pink. your vitamin D production plummets. Start off with just a few minutes of exposure. If your skin turns pink, you have a sunburn. Sunburns can lead to skin cancer. You are better off starting with just a few minutes a day and gradually increase your exposure. The greater the amount of skin that is exposed, the greater the vitamin D production will be. If you use a sunscreen, you will prevent the production of vitamin D.

Doctors will often prescribe 50,000 IU of vitamin D once a week for adults with vitamin D deficiencies. They rarely include vitamin K2 in their treatment protocol.

It makes more sense to me to take 10,000 IU of vitamin D Monday - Friday. That spreads out the 50,000 IU dose throughout the week. There should also be 10 micrograms of the MK7 variety of vitamin K2, for every 1,000 IU of Vitamin D. So a 10,000 IU dose of vitamin D, should have 100 micrograms of the MK7 variety of vitamin K2 taken along with it. I recommend a liquid D3 plus K2 that is in that exact ratio, which is 1,000 IU of D3 and 10 mcg of K2 in each drop of the supplement. It is made by Ortho Molecular Products.

Children should have lower doses than adults to treat a vitamin D deficiency, depending on their weight.

Once you have the optimal vitamin D levels, maintenance doses are dependent upon how much vitamin D you are ingesting a day in your food, as well as your sun exposure.

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