Vitamin D reduces mother to child transmission of HIV

[dannybex]

This study doesn't involve XMRV, but that other retrovirus HIV, so I thought perhaps it might be worth posting...

J Infect Dis. 2009 Oct 1;200(7):1022-30.

Perinatal outcomes, including mother-to-child transmission of HIV, and child mortality and their association with maternal vitamin D status in Tanzania.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D is a strong immunomodulator and may protect against adverse pregnancy outcomes, mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and child mortality.

METHODS: A total of 884 HIV-infected pregnant women who were participating in a vitamin supplementation trial in Tanzania were monitored to assess pregnancy outcomes and child mortality. The association of these outcomes with maternal vitamin D status at enrollment was examined in an observational analysis.

RESULTS: No association was observed between maternal vitamin D status and adverse pregnancy outcomes, including low birth weight and preterm birth. In multivariate models, a low maternal vitamin D level (<32 ng/mL) was associated with a 50% higher risk (95% confidence interval [CI], 2%-120%) of MTCT of HIV at 6 weeks, a 2-fold higher risk of MTCT of HIV through breast-feeding among children who were HIV uninfected at 6 weeks (95% CI, 1.08-3.82), and a 46% higher overall risk of HIV infection (95% CI, 11%-91%). Children born to women with a low vitamin D level had a 61% higher risk of dying during follow-up (95% CI, 25%-107%).

CONCLUSIONS: If found to be efficacious in randomized trials, vitamin D supplementation could prove to be an inexpensive method of reducing the burden of HIV infection and death among children, particularly in resource-limited settings.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19673647

If vitamin D can reduce HIV replication/transmission -- perhaps it would help with XMRV?

 

[Rosemary]

Hi dannybex...Thanks for posting this interesting info about low maternal vitamin D and higher risk of MTCT of HIV

there is also an
Association of subclinical vitamin D deficiency in newborns with acute lower respiratory infection and their mothers.

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that newborns with subclinical vitamin D deficiency may have an increased risk of suffering from ALRI. The strong positive correlation between newborns' and mothers' 25(OH)D concentrations shows that adequate vitamin D supplementation of mothers should be emphasized during pregnancy especially in winter months.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18030309?dopt=Abstract&holding=f1000,f1000m,isrctn

 

[Rosemary]

also interesting to read
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=vitamin-d-and-autism

What If Vitamin D Deficiency Is a Cause of Autism?
A few researchers are turning their attention to the sunshine vitamin as a culprit, prompted by the experience of immigrants that have moved from their equatorial country to two northern latitude locations

 

[JillBohr]

My kids doctor is also big on Vitamin D. When I did give it to my kids, they are more lethargic than usual (they are usually hyperactive). I must admit that I keep stopping after several days and then start again. Perhaps it is working on my kids and their body it is just overwhelmed at the beginning. I will make sure to give them some when they come home from school today.

Interesting note, when my kids spent their summer at JCC summer camp several years ago, my oldest son made a lot of progess and actually rode a bike for the first time. In the fall, his behaviours increased dramatically and then he had his first grand mal seizure in December of that year. I wonder if having a lot of vitamin D to too little vitamin D in a short period of time can cause more harm? I guess I should try to be more consistent when administering this vitamin.

 

[Diva55]

Interesting - thanks

I was advised by Stephen Dickson who dispenses LDN to hundreds (or more) people around the world that I should be taking Vitamin D alongside LDN.

He told me that I should be tested for Vitamin D levels and if not to take between 1000 -12000iu a day.

As LDN is an immune modulator Vitamin D is supposed to complement it and I presume keep the immune system normalised after the boost of help from LDN.

Frank posted a good video link on how how LDN works and I wonder if Vitamin D works much in the same way
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xr-n8jMLenU

 

[Rosemary]

Quote from Dr Mercola " The answer is that Vitamin D is NOT a vitamin but a steroid hormone precursor that is NOT naturally present in food."

Rickets (Vitamin D Deficiency) Cases Rising

Rickets appears to be on the rise, particularly in African-American children, according to a new report. Rickets is a disorder most commonly caused by vitamin D deficiency that results in soft, malformed bones, and muscle weakness.
•Researchers reviewed medical records of 30 babies diagnosed with nutritional rickets between 1990 and 1999 at two medical centers in North Carolina.

•All of the children were African-American, aged 5 months to 25 months, and all were breast-fed but did not receive vitamin D supplements.

•Over half of the patients were seen in 1998 and the first half of 1999, giving the researchers the impression that the incidence has risen sharply.

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

This is an important article for me as it completely updated my view about vitamin D. I had always wondered why this was the ONLY vitamin that breast fed babies need (only if they are not regularly exposed to sunshine). The answer is that Vitamin D is NOT a vitamin but a steroid hormone precursor that is NOT naturally present in food. This explains why the most perfect food on the planet for humans, human breast milk, is "deficient" in vitamin D.

Vitamin D is one of the only supplements that a breast-fed baby will need, but this is only if the baby is not exposed to sunshine. The darker the skin of the baby the more sun exposure will be required for the baby to generate enough vitamin D. Even if the child does not develop rickets, less than optimal bone development and other problems will occur without adequate vitamin D. Typically parents are so concerned about calcium for proper bone growth and health, but in most cases the vitamin D is far more important

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2000/08/27/vitamin-d-rickets.aspx