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Childhood Asthma and Allergies

A large prospective study demonstrated an inverse relationship between vitamin D intake in pregnant women and asthma and eczema (allergic skin rash) in their offspring after controlling for multiple confounding factors.

This study was reported at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Lead author Dr. Carlos Camargo reported that the present literature still recommends 200-400 IU vitamin D per day, in spite of multiple studies over the last five years demonstrating that this level of vitamin D is too low to protect our population against diseases promoted by vitamin D deficiency (800-1000 IU a day is a recommendation more consistent with the scientific literature).

More and more, we are finding that vitamin D deficiency is widespread in the modern world, and this problem has far-reaching negative health effects. Most of the modern world no works indoors and does no get sufficient sun exposure to assure optimal vitamin D status. Vitamin D supplementation is simply one of the most critical nutritional supplements to assure optimal health for ourselves and our children.

Reference:
Vitamin D insufficiency during pregnancy significantly increases the risk of asthma and allergies in children. (Family Practice News May 1, 2006.)

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