A major international study has found that babies born with low levels of vitamin D may be at higher risk of developing mental health conditions like ADHD, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and schizophrenia later in life.
The study, which looked at the health records of over 71,000 individuals, is the largest of its kind to explore the relationship between neonatal vitamin D levels and long-term mental health outcomes. Led by Professor John McGrath from The University of Queensland’s Brain Institute and based at Denmark’s National Centre for Register-Based Research and the State Serum Institute, the research builds on previous work that had already linked vitamin D deficiency with schizophrenia and autism.
This time, however, the team expanded their focus to include six major mental health conditions:
- Major depressive disorder
- Bipolar disorder
- Schizophrenia
- ADHD
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Anorexia nervosa
While no strong connection was found for all six, the data showed a clear association between low vitamin D at birth and a higher risk of schizophrenia, ASD, and ADHD.
Vitamin D plays a crucial role in brain development. Although our bodies naturally produce it when exposed to sunlight, many pregnant women around the world are vitamin D deficient—especially in countries with limited sunlight during certain seasons or in people who spend much of their time indoors.
“Vitamin D is important for a baby’s brain development, and low vitamin D levels are common in pregnant women across the globe,’’ said Professor McGrath.
This is one reason why some countries already recommend vitamin D supplements during pregnancy. The new findings suggest that ensuring adequate vitamin D levels early in life—perhaps even before birth—might reduce the likelihood of certain mental health conditions later on.
Just as folate supplementation is widely recommended during pregnancy to help prevent neural tube defects like spina bifida, vitamin D may eventually earn a similar place in prenatal care.
“Optimising vitamin D levels during pregnancy and in the neonatal period might reduce the risk of developing disorders like ADHD and autism,” McGrath explained.
Vitamin D can be obtained in three main ways:
- Sunlight exposure
- Certain foods (like fatty fish, egg yolks, and fortified milk)
- Supplements
Despite these sources, deficiency remains surprisingly common—especially in newborns and pregnant women. This study reinforces the idea that screening and supplementing during pregnancy could offer protective benefits for the child’s long-term mental health.
The research draws from data in the iPSYCH project, a Danish population-based initiative launched in 2012 to explore mental health conditions. It includes both health registry information and genetic material from tens of thousands of individuals born in Denmark.
The work is published in The Lancet Psychiatry and funded by several organizations, including the Danish National Research Foundation, The University of Queensland, and the Lundbeck Foundation.
This isn’t a call to panic—but it is a reminder that small steps during pregnancy can potentially lead to meaningful long-term benefits. If you’re pregnant or planning to be, talk to your healthcare provider about checking your vitamin D levels and whether supplements are right for you.
While mental health conditions have many contributing factors—genetic, environmental, and social—this research offers one more way to support children’s development from the very beginning.
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