{"id":27097,"date":"2025-08-01T04:59:20","date_gmt":"2025-08-01T08:59:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/?p=27097"},"modified":"2025-07-31T11:01:58","modified_gmt":"2025-07-31T15:01:58","slug":"new-study-one-third-of-pregnant-women-in-the-u-s-are-vitamin-d-deficient-and-it-may-impact-their-childrens-brain-development","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/new-study-one-third-of-pregnant-women-in-the-u-s-are-vitamin-d-deficient-and-it-may-impact-their-childrens-brain-development\/","title":{"rendered":"New Study: One-Third of Pregnant Women in the U.S. Are Vitamin D Deficient \u2014 And It May Impact Their Children\u2019s Brain Development"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-start=\"340\" data-end=\"581\">A recent study published in <em data-start=\"368\" data-end=\"412\">The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition<\/em> finds that roughly one in three pregnant women in the U.S. lack sufficient vitamin D \u2014 a deficiency that may have lasting effects on their children\u2019s brain development.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"583\" data-end=\"1050\">Researchers led by Melissa Melough, Assistant Professor of Nutrition Science at the University of Delaware, analyzed more than 900 mother-child pairs across the country as part of the national ECHO (Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes) study. They discovered that children born to mothers with higher vitamin D levels during pregnancy scored better on cognitive tests measuring memory, attention, and problem-solving skills between the ages of 7 and 12.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1339\" data-end=\"1744\">The study also found that the link between vitamin D and improved cognitive outcomes was strongest among Black families \u2014 a group that experiences much higher rates of deficiency. About 80% of Black pregnant women in the U.S. are deficient, compared to about 33% of pregnant women overall. This is largely due to melanin in the skin, which reduces the body\u2019s ability to synthesize vitamin D from sunlight.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2164\" data-end=\"2525\">These findings highlight an important opportunity for health care providers to screen for vitamin D levels earlier in pregnancy and encourage appropriate supplementation. According to Melough, early intervention may be especially critical: \u201cOur study suggested that vitamin D levels early in pregnancy may be most important for childhood cognitive development.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2527\" data-end=\"2747\">Previous research from Melough\u2019s team also linked higher prenatal vitamin D levels with increased childhood IQ and fewer behavioral problems \u2014 underscoring the nutrient\u2019s potential role in shaping long-term brain health.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2749\" data-end=\"3051\">While further randomized controlled trials are needed to determine causality and ideal vitamin D thresholds during pregnancy, the evidence so far suggests low-cost interventions could yield lifelong benefits for children \u2014 and help reduce racial health disparities in the process.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2749\" data-end=\"3051\"><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/about-a-third-of-pregnant-women-in-the-us-lack-sufficient-vitamin-d-to-support-healthy-pregnancies-new-research-259433\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Click here to read more about the study from <em>The Conversation<\/em>.<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2749\" data-end=\"3051\">\n<p data-start=\"2749\" data-end=\"3051\">\n<p><em>SmartTan.com news articles regularly report medical and scientific information to keep you abreast of current events related to UV light. This information is not intended to be used by any party to make unwarranted health claims to promote sunbed usage. Indoor tanning businesses are obligated to communicate a fair and balanced message to all clients about your products and services including the potential risks associated with indoor tanning. Contact your Smart Tan representative to find out more about what you can and can\u2019t say in your tanning salon business.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a9 2025 International Smart Tan Network. All rights reserved.<\/em><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2749\" data-end=\"3051\">\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A recent study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition finds that roughly one in three pregnant women in the U.S. lack sufficient vitamin D \u2014 a deficiency that may have lasting effects on their children\u2019s brain development. Researchers led by Melissa Melough, Assistant Professor of Nutrition Science at the University of Delaware, analyzed [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":27099,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27097","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>New Study: One-Third of Pregnant Women in the U.S. Are Vitamin D Deficient \u2014 And It May Impact Their Children\u2019s Brain Development - Smart Tan News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A recent study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition finds that roughly one in three pregnant women in the U.S. lack sufficient vitamin D \u2014 a deficiency that may have lasting effects on their children\u2019s brain development. Researchers led by Melissa Melough, Assistant Professor of Nutrition Science at the University of Delaware, analyzed more than 900 mother-child pairs across the country as part of the national ECHO (Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes) study. They discovered that children born to mothers with higher vitamin D levels during pregnancy scored better on cognitive tests measuring memory, attention, and problem-solving skills between the ages of 7 and 12. The study also found that the link between vitamin D and improved cognitive outcomes was strongest among Black families \u2014 a group that experiences much higher rates of deficiency. About 80% of Black pregnant women in the U.S. are deficient, compared to about 33% of pregnant women overall. This is largely due to melanin in the skin, which reduces the body\u2019s ability to synthesize vitamin D from sunlight. These findings highlight an important opportunity for health care providers to screen for vitamin D levels earlier in pregnancy and encourage appropriate supplementation. According to Melough, early intervention may be especially critical: \u201cOur study suggested that vitamin D levels early in pregnancy may be most important for childhood cognitive development.\u201d Previous research from Melough\u2019s team also linked higher prenatal vitamin D levels with increased childhood IQ and fewer behavioral problems \u2014 underscoring the nutrient\u2019s potential role in shaping long-term brain health. While further randomized controlled trials are needed to determine causality and ideal vitamin D thresholds during pregnancy, the evidence so far suggests low-cost interventions could yield lifelong benefits for children \u2014 and help reduce racial health disparities in the process. Click here to read more about the study from The Conversation.   SmartTan.com news articles regularly report medical and scientific information to keep you abreast of current events related to UV light. This information is not intended to be used by any party to make unwarranted health claims to promote sunbed usage. Indoor tanning businesses are obligated to communicate a fair and balanced message to all clients about your products and services including the potential risks associated with indoor tanning. Contact your Smart Tan representative to find out more about what you can and can\u2019t say in your tanning salon business.  \u00a9 2025 International Smart Tan Network. All rights reserved.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/new-study-one-third-of-pregnant-women-in-the-u-s-are-vitamin-d-deficient-and-it-may-impact-their-childrens-brain-development\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"New Study: One-Third of Pregnant Women in the U.S. Are Vitamin D Deficient \u2014 And It May Impact Their Children\u2019s Brain Development - Smart Tan News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A recent study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition finds that roughly one in three pregnant women in the U.S. lack sufficient vitamin D \u2014 a deficiency that may have lasting effects on their children\u2019s brain development. Researchers led by Melissa Melough, Assistant Professor of Nutrition Science at the University of Delaware, analyzed more than 900 mother-child pairs across the country as part of the national ECHO (Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes) study. They discovered that children born to mothers with higher vitamin D levels during pregnancy scored better on cognitive tests measuring memory, attention, and problem-solving skills between the ages of 7 and 12. The study also found that the link between vitamin D and improved cognitive outcomes was strongest among Black families \u2014 a group that experiences much higher rates of deficiency. About 80% of Black pregnant women in the U.S. are deficient, compared to about 33% of pregnant women overall. This is largely due to melanin in the skin, which reduces the body\u2019s ability to synthesize vitamin D from sunlight. These findings highlight an important opportunity for health care providers to screen for vitamin D levels earlier in pregnancy and encourage appropriate supplementation. According to Melough, early intervention may be especially critical: \u201cOur study suggested that vitamin D levels early in pregnancy may be most important for childhood cognitive development.\u201d Previous research from Melough\u2019s team also linked higher prenatal vitamin D levels with increased childhood IQ and fewer behavioral problems \u2014 underscoring the nutrient\u2019s potential role in shaping long-term brain health. While further randomized controlled trials are needed to determine causality and ideal vitamin D thresholds during pregnancy, the evidence so far suggests low-cost interventions could yield lifelong benefits for children \u2014 and help reduce racial health disparities in the process. Click here to read more about the study from The Conversation.   SmartTan.com news articles regularly report medical and scientific information to keep you abreast of current events related to UV light. This information is not intended to be used by any party to make unwarranted health claims to promote sunbed usage. Indoor tanning businesses are obligated to communicate a fair and balanced message to all clients about your products and services including the potential risks associated with indoor tanning. Contact your Smart Tan representative to find out more about what you can and can\u2019t say in your tanning salon business.  \u00a9 2025 International Smart Tan Network. All rights reserved.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/new-study-one-third-of-pregnant-women-in-the-u-s-are-vitamin-d-deficient-and-it-may-impact-their-childrens-brain-development\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Smart Tan News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SmartTan\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-08-01T08:59:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Pregnancy-7-31-25.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1360\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1180\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"smarttannews\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@SmartTan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@SmartTan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"smarttannews\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/new-study-one-third-of-pregnant-women-in-the-u-s-are-vitamin-d-deficient-and-it-may-impact-their-childrens-brain-development\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/new-study-one-third-of-pregnant-women-in-the-u-s-are-vitamin-d-deficient-and-it-may-impact-their-childrens-brain-development\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"smarttannews\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/#\/schema\/person\/722dc7049af55e0ed743d67ce9ed4819\"},\"headline\":\"New Study: One-Third of Pregnant Women in the U.S. Are Vitamin D Deficient \u2014 And It May Impact Their Children\u2019s Brain Development\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-08-01T08:59:20+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/new-study-one-third-of-pregnant-women-in-the-u-s-are-vitamin-d-deficient-and-it-may-impact-their-childrens-brain-development\/\"},\"wordCount\":426,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/new-study-one-third-of-pregnant-women-in-the-u-s-are-vitamin-d-deficient-and-it-may-impact-their-childrens-brain-development\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Pregnancy-7-31-25.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/new-study-one-third-of-pregnant-women-in-the-u-s-are-vitamin-d-deficient-and-it-may-impact-their-childrens-brain-development\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/new-study-one-third-of-pregnant-women-in-the-u-s-are-vitamin-d-deficient-and-it-may-impact-their-childrens-brain-development\/\",\"name\":\"New Study: One-Third of Pregnant Women in the U.S. Are Vitamin D Deficient \u2014 And It May Impact Their Children\u2019s Brain Development - Smart Tan News\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/new-study-one-third-of-pregnant-women-in-the-u-s-are-vitamin-d-deficient-and-it-may-impact-their-childrens-brain-development\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/new-study-one-third-of-pregnant-women-in-the-u-s-are-vitamin-d-deficient-and-it-may-impact-their-childrens-brain-development\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Pregnancy-7-31-25.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-08-01T08:59:20+00:00\",\"description\":\"A recent study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition finds that roughly one in three pregnant women in the U.S. lack sufficient vitamin D \u2014 a deficiency that may have lasting effects on their children\u2019s brain development. Researchers led by Melissa Melough, Assistant Professor of Nutrition Science at the University of Delaware, analyzed more than 900 mother-child pairs across the country as part of the national ECHO (Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes) study. They discovered that children born to mothers with higher vitamin D levels during pregnancy scored better on cognitive tests measuring memory, attention, and problem-solving skills between the ages of 7 and 12. The study also found that the link between vitamin D and improved cognitive outcomes was strongest among Black families \u2014 a group that experiences much higher rates of deficiency. About 80% of Black pregnant women in the U.S. are deficient, compared to about 33% of pregnant women overall. This is largely due to melanin in the skin, which reduces the body\u2019s ability to synthesize vitamin D from sunlight. These findings highlight an important opportunity for health care providers to screen for vitamin D levels earlier in pregnancy and encourage appropriate supplementation. According to Melough, early intervention may be especially critical: \u201cOur study suggested that vitamin D levels early in pregnancy may be most important for childhood cognitive development.\u201d Previous research from Melough\u2019s team also linked higher prenatal vitamin D levels with increased childhood IQ and fewer behavioral problems \u2014 underscoring the nutrient\u2019s potential role in shaping long-term brain health. While further randomized controlled trials are needed to determine causality and ideal vitamin D thresholds during pregnancy, the evidence so far suggests low-cost interventions could yield lifelong benefits for children \u2014 and help reduce racial health disparities in the process. Click here to read more about the study from The Conversation. SmartTan.com news articles regularly report medical and scientific information to keep you abreast of current events related to UV light. This information is not intended to be used by any party to make unwarranted health claims to promote sunbed usage. Indoor tanning businesses are obligated to communicate a fair and balanced message to all clients about your products and services including the potential risks associated with indoor tanning. Contact your Smart Tan representative to find out more about what you can and can\u2019t say in your tanning salon business. \u00a9 2025 International Smart Tan Network. 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Researchers led by Melissa Melough, Assistant Professor of Nutrition Science at the University of Delaware, analyzed more than 900 mother-child pairs across the country as part of the national ECHO (Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes) study. They discovered that children born to mothers with higher vitamin D levels during pregnancy scored better on cognitive tests measuring memory, attention, and problem-solving skills between the ages of 7 and 12. The study also found that the link between vitamin D and improved cognitive outcomes was strongest among Black families \u2014 a group that experiences much higher rates of deficiency. About 80% of Black pregnant women in the U.S. are deficient, compared to about 33% of pregnant women overall. This is largely due to melanin in the skin, which reduces the body\u2019s ability to synthesize vitamin D from sunlight. These findings highlight an important opportunity for health care providers to screen for vitamin D levels earlier in pregnancy and encourage appropriate supplementation. According to Melough, early intervention may be especially critical: \u201cOur study suggested that vitamin D levels early in pregnancy may be most important for childhood cognitive development.\u201d Previous research from Melough\u2019s team also linked higher prenatal vitamin D levels with increased childhood IQ and fewer behavioral problems \u2014 underscoring the nutrient\u2019s potential role in shaping long-term brain health. While further randomized controlled trials are needed to determine causality and ideal vitamin D thresholds during pregnancy, the evidence so far suggests low-cost interventions could yield lifelong benefits for children \u2014 and help reduce racial health disparities in the process. Click here to read more about the study from The Conversation.   SmartTan.com news articles regularly report medical and scientific information to keep you abreast of current events related to UV light. This information is not intended to be used by any party to make unwarranted health claims to promote sunbed usage. Indoor tanning businesses are obligated to communicate a fair and balanced message to all clients about your products and services including the potential risks associated with indoor tanning. Contact your Smart Tan representative to find out more about what you can and can\u2019t say in your tanning salon business.  \u00a9 2025 International Smart Tan Network. All rights reserved.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/new-study-one-third-of-pregnant-women-in-the-u-s-are-vitamin-d-deficient-and-it-may-impact-their-childrens-brain-development\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"New Study: One-Third of Pregnant Women in the U.S. Are Vitamin D Deficient \u2014 And It May Impact Their Children\u2019s Brain Development - Smart Tan News","og_description":"A recent study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition finds that roughly one in three pregnant women in the U.S. lack sufficient vitamin D \u2014 a deficiency that may have lasting effects on their children\u2019s brain development. Researchers led by Melissa Melough, Assistant Professor of Nutrition Science at the University of Delaware, analyzed more than 900 mother-child pairs across the country as part of the national ECHO (Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes) study. They discovered that children born to mothers with higher vitamin D levels during pregnancy scored better on cognitive tests measuring memory, attention, and problem-solving skills between the ages of 7 and 12. The study also found that the link between vitamin D and improved cognitive outcomes was strongest among Black families \u2014 a group that experiences much higher rates of deficiency. About 80% of Black pregnant women in the U.S. are deficient, compared to about 33% of pregnant women overall. This is largely due to melanin in the skin, which reduces the body\u2019s ability to synthesize vitamin D from sunlight. These findings highlight an important opportunity for health care providers to screen for vitamin D levels earlier in pregnancy and encourage appropriate supplementation. According to Melough, early intervention may be especially critical: \u201cOur study suggested that vitamin D levels early in pregnancy may be most important for childhood cognitive development.\u201d Previous research from Melough\u2019s team also linked higher prenatal vitamin D levels with increased childhood IQ and fewer behavioral problems \u2014 underscoring the nutrient\u2019s potential role in shaping long-term brain health. While further randomized controlled trials are needed to determine causality and ideal vitamin D thresholds during pregnancy, the evidence so far suggests low-cost interventions could yield lifelong benefits for children \u2014 and help reduce racial health disparities in the process. Click here to read more about the study from The Conversation.   SmartTan.com news articles regularly report medical and scientific information to keep you abreast of current events related to UV light. This information is not intended to be used by any party to make unwarranted health claims to promote sunbed usage. Indoor tanning businesses are obligated to communicate a fair and balanced message to all clients about your products and services including the potential risks associated with indoor tanning. Contact your Smart Tan representative to find out more about what you can and can\u2019t say in your tanning salon business.  \u00a9 2025 International Smart Tan Network. All rights reserved.","og_url":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/new-study-one-third-of-pregnant-women-in-the-u-s-are-vitamin-d-deficient-and-it-may-impact-their-childrens-brain-development\/","og_site_name":"Smart Tan News","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SmartTan","article_published_time":"2025-08-01T08:59:20+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1360,"height":1180,"url":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Pregnancy-7-31-25.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"smarttannews","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@SmartTan","twitter_site":"@SmartTan","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"smarttannews","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/new-study-one-third-of-pregnant-women-in-the-u-s-are-vitamin-d-deficient-and-it-may-impact-their-childrens-brain-development\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/new-study-one-third-of-pregnant-women-in-the-u-s-are-vitamin-d-deficient-and-it-may-impact-their-childrens-brain-development\/"},"author":{"name":"smarttannews","@id":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/#\/schema\/person\/722dc7049af55e0ed743d67ce9ed4819"},"headline":"New Study: One-Third of Pregnant Women in the U.S. Are Vitamin D Deficient \u2014 And It May Impact Their Children\u2019s Brain Development","datePublished":"2025-08-01T08:59:20+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/new-study-one-third-of-pregnant-women-in-the-u-s-are-vitamin-d-deficient-and-it-may-impact-their-childrens-brain-development\/"},"wordCount":426,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/new-study-one-third-of-pregnant-women-in-the-u-s-are-vitamin-d-deficient-and-it-may-impact-their-childrens-brain-development\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Pregnancy-7-31-25.jpg","articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/new-study-one-third-of-pregnant-women-in-the-u-s-are-vitamin-d-deficient-and-it-may-impact-their-childrens-brain-development\/","url":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/new-study-one-third-of-pregnant-women-in-the-u-s-are-vitamin-d-deficient-and-it-may-impact-their-childrens-brain-development\/","name":"New Study: One-Third of Pregnant Women in the U.S. Are Vitamin D Deficient \u2014 And It May Impact Their Children\u2019s Brain Development - Smart Tan News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/new-study-one-third-of-pregnant-women-in-the-u-s-are-vitamin-d-deficient-and-it-may-impact-their-childrens-brain-development\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/new-study-one-third-of-pregnant-women-in-the-u-s-are-vitamin-d-deficient-and-it-may-impact-their-childrens-brain-development\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Pregnancy-7-31-25.jpg","datePublished":"2025-08-01T08:59:20+00:00","description":"A recent study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition finds that roughly one in three pregnant women in the U.S. lack sufficient vitamin D \u2014 a deficiency that may have lasting effects on their children\u2019s brain development. Researchers led by Melissa Melough, Assistant Professor of Nutrition Science at the University of Delaware, analyzed more than 900 mother-child pairs across the country as part of the national ECHO (Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes) study. They discovered that children born to mothers with higher vitamin D levels during pregnancy scored better on cognitive tests measuring memory, attention, and problem-solving skills between the ages of 7 and 12. The study also found that the link between vitamin D and improved cognitive outcomes was strongest among Black families \u2014 a group that experiences much higher rates of deficiency. About 80% of Black pregnant women in the U.S. are deficient, compared to about 33% of pregnant women overall. This is largely due to melanin in the skin, which reduces the body\u2019s ability to synthesize vitamin D from sunlight. These findings highlight an important opportunity for health care providers to screen for vitamin D levels earlier in pregnancy and encourage appropriate supplementation. According to Melough, early intervention may be especially critical: \u201cOur study suggested that vitamin D levels early in pregnancy may be most important for childhood cognitive development.\u201d Previous research from Melough\u2019s team also linked higher prenatal vitamin D levels with increased childhood IQ and fewer behavioral problems \u2014 underscoring the nutrient\u2019s potential role in shaping long-term brain health. While further randomized controlled trials are needed to determine causality and ideal vitamin D thresholds during pregnancy, the evidence so far suggests low-cost interventions could yield lifelong benefits for children \u2014 and help reduce racial health disparities in the process. Click here to read more about the study from The Conversation. SmartTan.com news articles regularly report medical and scientific information to keep you abreast of current events related to UV light. This information is not intended to be used by any party to make unwarranted health claims to promote sunbed usage. Indoor tanning businesses are obligated to communicate a fair and balanced message to all clients about your products and services including the potential risks associated with indoor tanning. Contact your Smart Tan representative to find out more about what you can and can\u2019t say in your tanning salon business. \u00a9 2025 International Smart Tan Network. All rights reserved.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/new-study-one-third-of-pregnant-women-in-the-u-s-are-vitamin-d-deficient-and-it-may-impact-their-childrens-brain-development\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/new-study-one-third-of-pregnant-women-in-the-u-s-are-vitamin-d-deficient-and-it-may-impact-their-childrens-brain-development\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/new-study-one-third-of-pregnant-women-in-the-u-s-are-vitamin-d-deficient-and-it-may-impact-their-childrens-brain-development\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Pregnancy-7-31-25.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Pregnancy-7-31-25.jpg","width":1360,"height":1180,"caption":"Pregnant woman is relaxing on a sofa at home, gently holding her belly and smiling"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/new-study-one-third-of-pregnant-women-in-the-u-s-are-vitamin-d-deficient-and-it-may-impact-their-childrens-brain-development\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"New Study: One-Third of Pregnant Women in the U.S. Are Vitamin D Deficient \u2014 And It May Impact Their Children\u2019s Brain Development"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/","name":"Smart Tan News","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/#organization","name":"Smart Tan","url":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/smarttan.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Smart-Tan.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/smarttan.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Smart-Tan.png","width":500,"height":164,"caption":"Smart Tan"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SmartTan","https:\/\/x.com\/SmartTan"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/#\/schema\/person\/722dc7049af55e0ed743d67ce9ed4819","name":"smarttannews","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c0189f76465f47ce293287354f8076bfdb83130e65538eb34fcd2cd44e9f0e53?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c0189f76465f47ce293287354f8076bfdb83130e65538eb34fcd2cd44e9f0e53?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c0189f76465f47ce293287354f8076bfdb83130e65538eb34fcd2cd44e9f0e53?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"smarttannews"},"url":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/author\/smarttannews\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27097","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27097"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27097\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27098,"href":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27097\/revisions\/27098"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27099"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27097"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27097"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27097"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}