Maternal antenatal vitamin D supplementation and offspring risk of atopic eczema in the first 4 years of life: evidence from a randomized controlled trial.

What Was Tested

This randomized controlled trial looks at Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc in the context of eczema.

To examine the influence of maternal cholecalciferol supplementation during pregnancy on the risk of atopic eczema in the offspring at ages 12, 24 and 48 months.

Why It Was Studied

Evidence linking prenatal maternal vitamin D supplementation with the offspring's risk of atopic eczema is inconsistent, with most data coming from observational studies.

Who Took Part

The age groups tagged for this paper are infants, young children and children, women only.

Within the UK Maternal Vitamin D Osteoporosis Study (MAVIDOS) double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial, the researchers examined the relationship of maternal vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy with offspring atopic eczema at ages 12, 24 and 48 months.

The prevalence of atopic eczema in the offspring was ascertained at ages 12 (n = 635), 24 (n = 610) and 48 (n = 449) months, based on the UK Working Party criteria for the definition of atopic dermatitis.

How the Study Was Run

The researchers set it up as a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study.

The participants were allocated by chance, so the Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc group and the comparison group should start out alike.

As a double-blind Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc study, the assignments were hidden from both participants and investigators until the end.

Some participants received a placebo instead of Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc, giving a reference point.

The trial was registered with ISRCTN (82927713) and EudraCT (2007-001716-23).

What Was Measured

PubMed files the paper under topics including Vitamin D, Dermatitis, Atopic, Dietary Supplements, Vitamins, Cholecalciferol and Osteoporosis.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc in people with eczema.

Results are reported in around 8 sentences of the abstract; we leave them to the paper itself rather than summarise them.

The publication is from 2022 (The British journal of dermatology), a journal based in England.

More context: the Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc compound page, Eczema research.