Vitamin D has long been a part of prenatal care. Often administered in supplements, vitamin D is critical in maintaining the health of the unborn child and mother. A 2011 study showed only positive benefits of taking up to 4000 IU of vitamin D per day, nearly ten times the traditional recommendation. A more recent study has sought to hone in on these findings and deterime if higher levels of vitamin D could prevent wheezing or asthma in children. These may seem unrelated, but vitamin D deficiency has been variably linked to wheezing and asthma, and with the study concluded, researchers have a better idea of whether or not there may be yet another benefit to higher prenatal amounts of vitamin D. So, can vitamin D reduce asthma rates?

The Vitamin D Antenatal Asthma Reduction Trial was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial that tracked nearly 900 women in their use of prenatal vitamin D. With nearly half receiving 4400 IU dose and half receiving the standard 400 IU, the subsequent children were monitored through three years of age. Of the 810 infants born during the study, 218 developed asthma or recurring wheezing. While the rate of wheezing/asthma was 6.1% lower for the children whose mothers had taken the higher dose of vitamin D, that number was not deemed statistically significant.

What does that mean? If the results are found to be NOT statistically significant, it means that the correlation that is being tested isn’t strong enough to rule out chance. The conclusions of the study were that though a larger study or longer observation may need to be done to see clearer results.

So for now, it hasn’t been shown that higher doses of vitamin D reduce asthma rates or chances of your hcild developing recurring wheezing. Still, it’s important to keep in mind that the higher dose does help to lower the risk of gestational diabetes, preterm birth, complications during pregnancy, and infection, and that is not small thing!

To read the full abstract of the this study.