Overview
- An analysis of a randomized trial reported links between higher prenatal vitamin D and better verbal and visual memory plus cognitive flexibility in children tested at age 10.
- The original study assigned more than 600 pregnant women to take either 2,800 IU or 400 IU of vitamin D daily during pregnancy and for one week after birth, with about 500 children later completing detailed cognitive tests.
- Cognitive flexibility in the study referred to set-shifting, which is the brain’s ability to switch between tasks or rules during problem-solving.
- Researchers and outside experts said the result came from a post hoc analysis, so the signal could be a chance finding and needs confirmation in other datasets.
- Experts noted that many participants started with adequate vitamin D, which may limit how well the results apply to populations with deficiency, and the NHS still advises 10 micrograms (400 IU) daily in pregnancy.