Many Babies Born Short Of Vitamin D

Science News ^ | 2-9-2007 | Janet Raloff

[blam]

Many babies born short of vitamin D

Janet Raloff

Even in the womb, babies face a high risk of vitamin D deficiency, a new study finds. The sunshine vitamin is a building block for a hormone that not only helps build bone and muscle, but also fights infections and many chronic diseases.

Lisa M. Bodnar of the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health and her colleagues collected blood samples from 400 first-time moms early in their pregnancies and again at delivery. Half the women were black, and half were white.

More than 90 percent of the participants took multivitamins—including vitamin D—during pregnancy. Half that group had also taken such vitamins before becoming pregnant. But by the end of their pregnancies, only 4 percent of the black women and 37 percent of the whites had vitamin D blood concentrations deemed sufficient for good health, the researchers report in the February Journal of Nutrition. Tests of umbilical cord blood showed that just 17 percent of black infants and half the white ones had sufficient vitamin D at birth.

The team expected to see a racial difference because heavily pigmented skin absorbs less sun and produces less vitamin D than light skin does. However, sunlight in northern latitudes is too weak in fall and winter to spur adequate vitamin production even in whites. The authors say that their findings could partly explain a reemergence of rickets among black children in the United States.

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[donna]

We're not allowed in the sun because of skin cancer.

[mtbopfuyn]

The authors say that their findings could partly explain a reemergence of rickets among black children in the United States.

Get them outta their hoodies and they'd absorb more sunlight.

[Right Wing Assault]

They should be testing Muzzle women in the US who wear burkas. They are completely in the dark.

[Maximum Leader]

Michael Holick, a doctor teaching at Boston University, lost his dermatology department appointment for writing a book making the point that more people die from diseases caused (or aggravated) by Vitamin D deficiency than from skin cancer.

I think BU just moved him to another department (he was tenured), but it just shows political correctness is everywhere. Its so much easier to fire heretics than to engage them in debate (and risk proving them right).
http://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/22116/

[Integrityrocks]

Well that explains a whole lot about some people I know on the North Slope and in Barrow.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

How about moderation? I don't know many people who say to stay out of the sun. I have heard to be smart when in the sun. Makes sense to me. Especially since my dad almost lost his life to skin cancer in his early 40's.

[parisa]

They should be testing Muzzle women in the US who wear burkas. They are completely in the dark.

Excellent point.

I remember years after the mollas' takeover of Iran in '79 - when the women and little girls were forced to cover up from head to toe - there was a study done that showed that a lot of school girls were starting to have hearing deficiencies compared to boys. The scientists who conducted the study tried to convince the regime to allow the girls to push the scarves behind their ears so they would be able to hear normally, but the mollas thought the girls were born deficient to begin with, so what of one more!

Moronic!

[gcruse]

I had rickets as a child, leaving me with bowlegs. Luckily I was raised in Texas where it wasn't noticable. LOL Anyway, my mom and I would eat spoons full of peanut butter at a time. That was the cure for Vitamin D deficiency.

[girlangler]

There was a good story a few months ago in "Readers Digest" about Vitamen D. I believe in it, take D supplements.

[blam]

Lots of FR vitamin D articles here.

[girlangler]

WOW, thanks for all those links.

I am a firm believer in taking vitamens, and getting them from the right foods.

I have an aunt, who is 93 and lives alone in the country (stronger than most 40 year olds), and she convinced me vitamens, and herbs are the key to health. Anytime I have a problem I call her and she has a cure, a vitamen to take, or herb. And they work.

My 80 year old mother said her side was hurting last week (possible kidney/bladder) and my aunt advised her to drink something and put fresh ginger in it. Of course, this doesn't replace seeing a doctor (although my aunt has been to a doctor ONCE in her life, after a car wreck).

[Mila]

"They should be testing Muzzle women in the US who wear burkas. They are completely in the dark." Your post got me to thinking about the Ursuline nuns that taught me as a child? They were covered from head to toe, but at least their face showed. On boiling hot days (in a New Orleans classroom), I wonder how they could stand it what with their multiple layers and stiffly starched wimple. The sun had no way of piercing those outfits, but maybe the exposed face and hands were enough. Interestingly, several who taught me are still living (in their 80's) and now teaching pre-school. One that taught me music and French, recently died at 97. Maybe they took tablespoons of cod liver oil to compensate. YUCK!

[Right Wing Assault]

Yes, I don't think nuns die until they are 90.