(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A soft spot on the top of the head is common in
newborns, but it might not be as normal as some people think. A new study out of
Japan suggests the condition is linked to a deficiency of the “sunshine vitamin”
-- vitamin D.
Researchers arrived at those conclusions after assessing 1,120 newborns for a
softening of the skull bones, known medically as craniotabes. Twenty-two percent
of the babies were found to have the condition, and further analysis linked the
occurrence of craniotabes with the season of birth. That could mean babies born
in lower sunshine months are more at risk for the condition because they and
their mothers received less sunlight.
The research also raises questions about the link between breastfeeding and
craniotabes, finding breastfed babies, who were not receiving a formula
fortified with vitamin D, were more likely to have lower blood levels of the
vitamin.
Since vitamin D deficiency has been associated with lower bone density and other
health problems, the researchers suggest supplements may be in order for mother
and child.
“Until more research is done on the effects of perinatal vitamin D deficiency,
we suggest treating breastfed infants with craniotabes with vitamin D, or
preferably, treating all pregnant women with vitamin D,” study author Tohru
Yorifuji, M.D., Ph.D., of Kyoto University Hospital, was quoted as saying.
SOURCE: To be published in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Clinical
Endocrinology & Metabolism
