On 2013 Oct 29, John Cannell commented:

As the authors suggest, micronutrient deficiencies may explain their findings. One micronutrient that is depleted in multiparous women is vitamin D.

Andersen LB, Abrahamsen B, Dalgård C, Kyhl HB, Beck-Nielsen SS, Frost-Nielsen M, Jørgensen JS, Barington T, Christesen HT. Parity and tanned white skin as novel predictors of vitamin D status in early pregnancy: a population-based cohort study. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2013 Sep;79(3):333-41. doi: 10.1111/cen.12147. Epub 2013 Jul 2. Andersen LB, 2013

Furthermore, the states with the highest participants in the Women's and Infant and Child program, which includes prenatal as well as postnatal vitamin D supplements, have significantly lower autism rates.

Shamberger RJ. Autism rates associated with nutrition and the WIC program. Jn Am Coll Nutr. 2011 Oct;30(5):348-53. Shamberger RJ, 2011

Three recent studies, using community controls, have found 25(OH)D levels are significantly lower in children with autism. Two of the studies below (Mostafa et al and Gong et al) also found autism severity, as rated on standard autism rating scales, is inversely correlated with 25(OH)D levels. Mostafa et al found an R value of -.86 for the association of serum 25(OH)D with autism severity.

Gong ZL, Luo CM, Wang L, Shen L, Wei F, Tong RJ, Liu Y. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in Chinese children with autism spectrum disorders. Neuroreport. 2013 Oct 1. Gong ZL, 2014

Meguid NA, Hashish AF, Anwar M, Sidhom G. Reduced serum levels of 25-hydroxy and 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D in Egyptian children with autism. J Altern Complement Med. 2010 Jun;16(6):641-5. Meguid NA, 2010

Mostafa GA, Al-Ayadhi LY.Reduced serum concentrations of 25-hydroxy vitamin D in children with autism: relation to autoimmunity. J Neuroinflammation. 2012 Aug 17;9:201. Mostafa GA, 2012

There is a plethora of basic science explaining why low gestational or early childhood 25(OH)D levels would adversely effect brain development.

DeLuca GC, Kimball SM, Kolasinski J, Ramagopalan SV, Ebers GC. Review: the role of vitamin D in nervous system health and disease. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol. 2013 Aug;39(5):458-84. doi: 10.1111/nan.12020. DeLuca GC, 2013

Eyles DW, Feron F, Cui X, Kesby JP, Harms LH, Ko P, McGrath JJ, Burne TH. Developmental vitamin D deficiency causes abnormal brain development. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2009 Dec;34 Suppl 1:S247-57. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2009.04.015. Epub . Review. Eyles DW, 2009

Furthermore, the vitamin D theory of autism explains many of the epidemiological facts of autism.

Cannell JJ. On the aetiology of autism. Acta Paediatr. 2010 Aug;99(8):1128-30. Cannell JJ, 2010

Cannell JJ. Autism and vitamin D. Med Hypotheses. 2008;70(4):750-9. Cannell JJ, 2008

70% of American toddlers do not take the American Pediatric Association's recommended vitamin D supplement of 400 IU/day.

Cannell JJ. Autism, will vitamin D treat core symptoms? Medical Hypotheses. 2013 Aug;81(2):195-8. Cannell JJ, 2013

A group of well-known European autism researchers, including Professor Christopher Gillberg of the Gillberg Neuropsychiatric Institute, have recently called for the need for “urgent research” into the theory of vitamin D deficiency and autism.

Kočovská E, Fernell E, Billstedt E, Minnis H, Gillberg C. Vitamin D and autism: clinical review. Res Dev Disabil. 2012 Sep-Oct;33(5):1541-50. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2012.02.015. Epub 2012 Apr 21.Kočovská E, 2012

The author's important finding of higher autism rates with lower inter-pregnancy intervals is entirely consistent with the vitamin D theory of autism.

John J Cannell, MD

Vitamin D Council

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org

On 2013 Oct 29, John Cannell commented:

As the authors suggest, micronutrient deficiencies may explain their findings. One micronutrient that is depleted in multiparous women is vitamin D.

Andersen LB, Abrahamsen B, Dalgård C, Kyhl HB, Beck-Nielsen SS, Frost-Nielsen M, Jørgensen JS, Barington T, Christesen HT. Parity and tanned white skin as novel predictors of vitamin D status in early pregnancy: a population-based cohort study. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2013 Sep;79(3):333-41. doi: 10.1111/cen.12147. Epub 2013 Jul 2. Andersen LB, 2013

Furthermore, the states with the highest participants in the Women's and Infant and Child program, which includes prenatal as well as postnatal vitamin D supplements, have significantly lower autism rates.

Shamberger RJ. Autism rates associated with nutrition and the WIC program. Jn Am Coll Nutr. 2011 Oct;30(5):348-53. Shamberger RJ, 2011

Three recent studies, using community controls, have found 25(OH)D levels are significantly lower in children with autism. Two of the studies below (Mostafa et al and Gong et al) also found autism severity, as rated on standard autism rating scales, is inversely correlated with 25(OH)D levels. Mostafa et al found an R value of -.86 for the association of serum 25(OH)D with autism severity.

Gong ZL, Luo CM, Wang L, Shen L, Wei F, Tong RJ, Liu Y. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in Chinese children with autism spectrum disorders. Neuroreport. 2013 Oct 1. Gong ZL, 2014

Meguid NA, Hashish AF, Anwar M, Sidhom G. Reduced serum levels of 25-hydroxy and 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D in Egyptian children with autism. J Altern Complement Med. 2010 Jun;16(6):641-5. Meguid NA, 2010

Mostafa GA, Al-Ayadhi LY.Reduced serum concentrations of 25-hydroxy vitamin D in children with autism: relation to autoimmunity. J Neuroinflammation. 2012 Aug 17;9:201. Mostafa GA, 2012

There is a plethora of basic science explaining why low gestational or early childhood 25(OH)D levels would adversely effect brain development.

DeLuca GC, Kimball SM, Kolasinski J, Ramagopalan SV, Ebers GC. Review: the role of vitamin D in nervous system health and disease. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol. 2013 Aug;39(5):458-84. doi: 10.1111/nan.12020. DeLuca GC, 2013

Eyles DW, Feron F, Cui X, Kesby JP, Harms LH, Ko P, McGrath JJ, Burne TH. Developmental vitamin D deficiency causes abnormal brain development. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2009 Dec;34 Suppl 1:S247-57. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2009.04.015. Epub . Review. Eyles DW, 2009

Furthermore, the vitamin D theory of autism explains many of the epidemiological facts of autism.

Cannell JJ. On the aetiology of autism. Acta Paediatr. 2010 Aug;99(8):1128-30. Cannell JJ, 2010

Cannell JJ. Autism and vitamin D. Med Hypotheses. 2008;70(4):750-9. Cannell JJ, 2008

70% of American toddlers do not take the American Pediatric Association's recommended vitamin D supplement of 400 IU/day.

Cannell JJ. Autism, will vitamin D treat core symptoms? Medical Hypotheses. 2013 Aug;81(2):195-8. Cannell JJ, 2013

A group of well-known European autism researchers, including Professor Christopher Gillberg of the Gillberg Neuropsychiatric Institute, have recently called for the need for “urgent research” into the theory of vitamin D deficiency and autism.

Kočovská E, Fernell E, Billstedt E, Minnis H, Gillberg C. Vitamin D and autism: clinical review. Res Dev Disabil. 2012 Sep-Oct;33(5):1541-50. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2012.02.015. Epub 2012 Apr 21.Kočovská E, 2012

The author's important finding of higher autism rates with lower inter-pregnancy intervals is entirely consistent with the vitamin D theory of autism.

John J Cannell, MD

Vitamin D Council

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org