Vitamin D deficiency in early to mid-pregnancy increases the risk of children developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by 34 percent, reveals a Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (February) study. Researchers of the University of Turku, Finland surveyed 1,067 children born between 1998 and 1999 in Finland diagnosed with ADHD.

“Our research offers strong evidence that low level of vitamin D during pregnancy is related to attention deficiency in offspring. As ADHD is very common in children, the research results have a great significance for public health,” says Dr. Andre Sourander, professor of child psychiatry at the University of Turku.

The study data was published before the government’s recommendation for intake of 10 micrograms of vitamin D per day during pregnancy.