Women who are pregnant during the summer have taller, stronger-boned babies” reports The Independent, describing research on 7,000 children as part of an 18-year study. According to the newspaper, a mother’s exposure to the sun’s “vitamin-boosting rays”, can give her child larger, healthier bones. Exposure to the sun triggers the body to produce its own vitamin D, although it is also available through diet and taking vitamin supplements.
The research was conducted by estimating pregnant mothers’ exposure to the sun using weather records, and comparing full-body bone scans of their children around the age of 10. While the newspaper focuses on children’s height, the researchers emphasise their findings that UVB exposure affects bone mass, primarily increasing the width of bones.
While sunlight can increase the body’s vitamin D levels there is established evidence that sunbathing and exposure to high levels of the sun’s ultraviolet light are a health risk. Current guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) states that it is important to maintain adequate vitamin D during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and that expectant mothers may choose to take up to 10 micrograms of vitamin D a day through supplements.
