(19-06-13) Intake of vitamin D and risk of type 1 diabetes-a birth-cohort study.

SummaryBackground Dietary vitamin D supplementation is associated
with reduced risk of type 1 diabetes in animals. Our aim was
to ascertain whether or not vitamin D supplementation or
deficiency in infancy could affect development of type 1
diabetes.
Methods A birth-cohort study was done, in which all pregnant
women (n=12 055) in Oulu and Lapland, northern Finland,
who were due to give birth in 1966 were enrolled. Data was
collected in the first year of life about frequency and dose of
vitamin D supplementation and presence of suspected
rickets. Our primary outcome measure was diagnosis of
type 1 diabetes by end of December, 1997.
Findings 12 058 of 12 231 represented live births, and
10 821 (91% of those alive) children were followed-up at age
1 year. Of the 10 366 children included in analyses, 81 were
diagnosed with diabetes during the study. Vitamin D
supplementation was associated with a decreased frequency
of type 1 diabetes when adjusted for neonatal,
anthropometric, and social characteristics (rate ratio [RR] for
regular vs no supplementation 0·12, 95% CI 0·03–0·51, and
irregular vs no supplementation 0·16, 0·04–0·74. Children
who regularly took the recommended dose of vitamin D
(2000 IU daily) had a RR of 0·22 (0·05–0·89) compared with
those who regularly received less than the recommended
amount. Children suspected of having rickets during the first
year of life had a RR of 3·0 (1·0–9·0) compared with those
without such a suspicion.
Interpretation Dietary vitamin D supplementation is
associated with reduced risk of type 1 diabetes. Ensuring
adequate vitamin D supplementation for infants could help to
reverse the increasing trend in the incidence of type 1
diabetes.

Source:Lancet 2001; 358: 1500–03

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