Pregnant mothers with more vitamin D may boost their child's brain development

According to the study, early pregnancy may be a critical period when vitamin D has the greatest potential to support a child's cognitive development. Photo: Freepik

Mothers who make sure to get enough vitamin D while pregnant are likely giving their children a better shot at healthy cognitive development later in life.

That's according to researchers at the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO), who found that kids whose mothers had higher vitamin D levels while pregnant "tended to perform better on cognitive tests assessing skills like problem-solving and processing new information at ages seven to 12."