Some kids may have trouble finding the right words for a surprising reason. Researchers keep connecting low Vitamin D to a growing number of problems. Today’s news brings you another.
A new study included 743 pregnant women who provided a blood sample midway through their pregnancy. The researchers then checked on the women’s children when they were five and 10 years old. The kids took a test of their language skills that involved hearing a word then pointing to the correct picture on a card.
Women with low levels of Vitamin D were almost twice as likely to have a child with language difficulties compared to women with enough Vitamin D.
How could this vitamin be related to language skills? As the researchers point out, Vitamin D plays many roles in a baby’s brain development in the womb. Low levels could keep the baby’s brain from developing like it should.
Ways to bump up your Vitamin D levels include getting a few minutes of sunlight on your skin, which allows your body to make its own Vitamin D as well as eating foods containing Vitamin D such as fortified juice, dairy, cereals and eggs with their yolk.