Vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy and offspring bone microarchitecture: a post hoc analysis of the MAVIDOS randomised controlled trial
Vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy and offspring bone microarchitecture: a post hoc analysis of the MAVIDOS randomised controlled trial
Background: randomised trials have shown that pregnancy vitamin D supplementation results in greater offspring bone mineral density (BMD) in childhood. The effect of this intervention on bone microarchitecture, a further determinant of bone strength, and possible interactions with genetic variation in vitamin D metabolism, have not previously been investigated. We investigated these in a post hoc analysis of a randomised controlled trial.
Methods: MAVIDOS was a randomised placebo-controlled trial of 1000 IU/day cholecalciferol from 14-17 weeks’ gestation until delivery. Offspring tibial bone microarchitecture was assessed at age 6-7 years using high resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT; Stratec Xtreme CTII). Maternal and child genotype at four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) [rs12785878 (DHCR7), rs10741657 (CYP2R1), rs6013897 (CYP24A1)] was determined using serum samples.
Differences in bone microarchitecture by randomisation were assessed using linear regression, and additionally across clusters of bone microarchitecture phenotypes generated using cluster analysis approaches.
Results: 222 children (placebo n=110, cholecalciferol n=112) were included. No significant differences in cross-sectional area, cortical thickness or porosity, trabecular thickness or number, or volumetric BMD (total, cortical or trabecular) were found using linear regression, and there was no interaction with either maternal or offspring SNP genetic variants.
Three phenotypic bone clusters were generated. Differences in child anthropometry were evident across clusters, but the proportion of mothers randomised to cholecalciferol was similar across the clusters (p=1.00).
Conclusion: in this subset of children born to mothers participating in a trial of vitamin D supplementation in pregnancy, no effect of the supplementation on tibial microarchitecture was observed.
Maden, Charlotte
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D'Angelo, Stefania
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Moon, Rebecca
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Westbury, Leo D.
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Curtis, Elizabeth M.
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Crozier, Sarah R.
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Godfrey, Keith M.
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Ward, Kate A.
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Cooper, Cyrus
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Harvey, Nicholas C.
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Dennison, Elaine
ee647287-edb4-4392-8361-e59fd505b1d1
10 March 2026
Maden, Charlotte
1262b4e7-93e4-4715-b78e-ab109a835195
D'Angelo, Stefania
b6755c92-c646-4417-ae51-436ae5f196fd
Moon, Rebecca
954fb3ed-9934-4649-886d-f65944985a6b
Westbury, Leo D.
74411e83-e3ee-48ca-a6d0-4d4888f7bdd5
Curtis, Elizabeth M.
12aba0c3-1e9e-49ef-a7e9-3247e649cdd6
Crozier, Sarah R.
a9c88016-8f46-4659-954e-4d7af8a49594
Godfrey, Keith M.
0931701e-fe2c-44b5-8f0d-ec5c7477a6fd
Ward, Kate A.
39bd4db1-c948-4e32-930e-7bec8deb54c7
Cooper, Cyrus
e05f5612-b493-4273-9b71-9e0ce32bdad6
Harvey, Nicholas C.
ce487fb4-d360-4aac-9d17-9466d6cba145
Dennison, Elaine
ee647287-edb4-4392-8361-e59fd505b1d1
Maden, Charlotte, D'Angelo, Stefania, Moon, Rebecca, Westbury, Leo D., Curtis, Elizabeth M., Crozier, Sarah R., Godfrey, Keith M., Ward, Kate A., Cooper, Cyrus and Harvey, Nicholas C.
,
MAVIDOS Study Group
(2026)
Vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy and offspring bone microarchitecture: a post hoc analysis of the MAVIDOS randomised controlled trial.
Bone, 207, [117843].
(doi:10.1016/j.bone.2026.117843).
Abstract
Background: randomised trials have shown that pregnancy vitamin D supplementation results in greater offspring bone mineral density (BMD) in childhood. The effect of this intervention on bone microarchitecture, a further determinant of bone strength, and possible interactions with genetic variation in vitamin D metabolism, have not previously been investigated. We investigated these in a post hoc analysis of a randomised controlled trial.
Methods: MAVIDOS was a randomised placebo-controlled trial of 1000 IU/day cholecalciferol from 14-17 weeks’ gestation until delivery. Offspring tibial bone microarchitecture was assessed at age 6-7 years using high resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT; Stratec Xtreme CTII). Maternal and child genotype at four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) [rs12785878 (DHCR7), rs10741657 (CYP2R1), rs6013897 (CYP24A1)] was determined using serum samples.
Differences in bone microarchitecture by randomisation were assessed using linear regression, and additionally across clusters of bone microarchitecture phenotypes generated using cluster analysis approaches.
Results: 222 children (placebo n=110, cholecalciferol n=112) were included. No significant differences in cross-sectional area, cortical thickness or porosity, trabecular thickness or number, or volumetric BMD (total, cortical or trabecular) were found using linear regression, and there was no interaction with either maternal or offspring SNP genetic variants.
Three phenotypic bone clusters were generated. Differences in child anthropometry were evident across clusters, but the proportion of mothers randomised to cholecalciferol was similar across the clusters (p=1.00).
Conclusion: in this subset of children born to mothers participating in a trial of vitamin D supplementation in pregnancy, no effect of the supplementation on tibial microarchitecture was observed.
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MAVIDOS HRpQCT revision 23022026 - Clean
- Accepted Manuscript
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MAVIDOS HRpQCT Supplementary tables 23022026 - clean
- Accepted Manuscript
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Accepted/In Press date: 4 March 2026
e-pub ahead of print date: 7 March 2026
Published date: 10 March 2026
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Local EPrints ID: 510725
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/510725
ISSN: 8756-3282
PURE UUID: 517fb936-62d6-4de0-8c7d-ed8a3ad46055
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Date deposited: 20 Apr 2026 16:39
Last modified: 21 Apr 2026 01:52
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Contributors
Author:
Charlotte Maden
Author:
Stefania D'Angelo
Author:
Rebecca Moon
Author:
Leo D. Westbury
Author:
Sarah R. Crozier
Corporate Author: MAVIDOS Study Group
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