Vitamin D is an essential nutrient, especially during pregnancy, as it contributes to the bone development and cognitive development of the baby, as well as reducing the risk of preeclampsia and gestational diabetes in the mother.
But in addition, taking vitamin D during pregnancy could substantially reduce the chances that the baby will suffer from atopic eczema in the first months of life, according to a study.
The research, published in the British Journal of Dermatology , concludes that babies had a lower risk of developing atopic eczema in their first year if their mothers took 1,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D daily from when they were 14 weeks pregnant until the birth. The effect was particularly seen in babies who were then breastfed for more than a month.
Atopic eczema is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that has a major impact on patients, their families, and healthcare. It is thought to affect one in six children ages one to five , and there has been a global increase in recent decades.
The experts found benefits at 12 months, but no effect at 24 and 48 months, suggesting that other postnatal influences may become more important beyond infancy or that babies themselves may also need supplementation during the postnatal period to achieve a sustained effect.
There are currently no proven prenatal interventions to reduce the incidence of childhood atopic eczema in the general population, so studies like this could open the door to nutritional supplementation during pregnancy.
Where do you get vitamin D?
It is recommended to guarantee a minimum exposure of 15 minutes to the sun three or four times a week, or 10 minutes of face and hands a day.
If we suffer from vitamin D deficiency or are at risk, the ideal is to bet on healthy foods rich in this micronutrient to guarantee adequate levels in the body.
Among the foods with vitamin D that you can add to your diet, we mainly find oily fish (such as salmon, herring, horse mackerel, sardines and anchovies), dairy products, eggs and enriched cereals.
