Low UVB exposure in pregnancy linked with higher risk of learning disabilities

Too little sunlight - and specifically UVB exposure - in pregnancy has been linked with a higher risk of learning disabilities. In a new study looking at more than 422,500 school-age children from across Scotland, researchers found that low UVB exposure during pregnancy was associated with risk of learning disabilities. UVB exposure from sunlight is linked to the production of the essential nutrient vitamin D in the body. Publishing their results in the journal Scientific Reports, University of Glasgow researchers linked sunshine hours data from the Met Office with the month in which children were conceived. They found that there was a statistically significant relationship between lower UVB exposure over the whole of pregnancy and the risk of learning disabilities. The relationship was specific to UVB (not UVA) suggesting that the effect of sunlight was likely to be working via production of vitamin D. During the antenatal period, the foetus undergoes rapid development and growth, making it susceptible to environmental exposures, with the potential of long-term consequences. Maternal UVB exposure promotes the production of vitamin D, which is important for normal brain development of a foetus.