Vitamin D Supplementation During Pregnancy for Prevention of Asthma in Childhood (ABCvitaminD)
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00856947 |
Recruitment Status :
Active, not recruiting
First Posted : March 6, 2009
Last Update Posted : March 9, 2022
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Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
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Asthma | Dietary Supplement: Cholecalciferol D3 Other: Placebo tablet | Phase 1 |
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Estimated Enrollment : | 600 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Masking: | Quadruple (Participant, Care Provider, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor) |
Primary Purpose: | Prevention |
Official Title: | Vitamin D Supplementation During Pregnancy for Prevention of Asthma in Childhood: An Interventional Trial in the ABC (Asthma Begins in Childhood) Cohort |
Study Start Date : | March 2009 |
Estimated Primary Completion Date : | July 2027 |
Estimated Study Completion Date : | July 2027 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
---|---|
Active Comparator: Vitamin D
Dietary supplement: 2400 IU Vitamin D3 (2 tablets of 1200 IU) from week 24 of gestation to 1 week after delivery
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Dietary Supplement: Cholecalciferol D3
2 tablets of 1200 IU daily from week 24 of gestation to 1 week after delivery
Other Name: Vitamin D from Camette, Denmark |
Placebo Comparator: Placebo
Placebo: 2 placebo tablets with no active substance, identical to the active tablets, from week 24 of gestation to 1 week after delivery
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Other: Placebo tablet
2 tablets containing no active substance
Other Name: Placebo tablets from Camette, Denmark |
- Persistent wheeze [ Time Frame: 0 to 3 years of age ]Age at onset of persistent wheeze diagnosed according to predefined algorithm of recurrent troublesome lung symptoms, response to treatment and relapse after withdrawal of treatment
- Infections [ Time Frame: 0 to 3 years of age ]
Main analysis:
• Number of lower respiratory tract infections registered in daily diaries
Secondary analyses:
- Acute otitis media
- Number of upper respiratory tract infections
- Number of other infections
- Total number of infections
- Allergic sensitization [ Time Frame: 6 and 18 months of age ]Allergic sensitization at 6 and/or 18 months assessed by skin prick test and specific IgE in blood
- Eczema [ Time Frame: 0 to 3 years of age ]Age at onset of eczema diagnosed prospectively by research doctors according to predefined algorithm based upon Hanifin and Rajka criteria
- Mothers levels of 25-OH-Vitamin D, PTH, Calcium, alkaline phosphatase [ Time Frame: 1 week after delivery ]
- Growth [ Time Frame: 0 to 3 years of age ]
- Asthma exacerbations [ Time Frame: 0 to 3 years of age ]Age at onset of severe asthma exacerbation diagnosed by predefined criteria of acute severe asthma requiring oral/high dose inhaled steroids or acute hospital contact
- Neurological development [ Time Frame: 0-3 years ]
Main analysis:
• Cognitive development assessed at 2½ years using the cognitive part of Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, third edition
Secondary analyses:
- Milestone development monitored prospectively by the parents using a registration form based on The Denver Development Index and WHO milestones registration (combined assessment by principal component analysis)
- Language development assessed at 1 and 2 years of age with the Danish version of The MacArthur Bates Communicative Developmental Inventory (CDI)
- The child´s general development (language, fine and gross motor, social and problem solving) at 3 years of age assessed with Ages and stages Questioner, third edition (ASQ-3)
- Growth [ Time Frame: 0-3 years ]
Main analysis:
• Body composition (fat mass and bone mineral density) assessed by DEXA scan at 3 years of age
Secondary analysis
• Development of BMI from birth to 3 years assesses longitudinally in the research clinic
- Systemic immune status [ Time Frame: 18 months ]
Main analysis Immune status at 18 months measured in stimulated whole blood as cytokine release (combined assessments by prinicipal component analyses)
Secondary analyses Composition of immune cell subsets in whole blood at birth and at 18 months of age
- Airway mucosal immune status [ Time Frame: 4 weeks and 2 years ]Immune status measured in airway mucosal lining fluid at 4 weeks and 2 years of age (combined assessments by prinicipal component analyses for each age point)
- 17q21 genotype and sphingolipid metabolites [ Time Frame: 6 months ]In a secondary analyses, we will determine the effect of 17q21 genotype on the efficacy of vitamin D supplementation in the prevention of asthma/wheeze. We will compute hazard ratios for the reduction in asthma/wheeze risk associated with prenatal supplementation, stratified by rs12936231. rs12936231 is a functional SNP influencing expression of ORMDL3, and given the role of ORMDL3 as a key sphingolipid biosynthesis regulator, we will subsequently investigate the relative abundance of sphingolipids between those in the vitamin D Intervention arm and those in the placebo group, stratified by 17q21 genotype. Finally we will identify interactions between prenatal vitamin D supplementation, rs12936231 genotype and sphingolipid metabolism in the risk of asthma/wheeze by age three.
- Dental health [ Time Frame: 6 year ]Caries and enamel defects (molar incisor hypomineralization, MIH) determined at a dental examination at age 6 years.
- Asthma [ Time Frame: 3-10 years of age ]Asthma diagnosed from age 3 to 10 years based on the same predefined algorithm of recurrent troublesome lung symptoms, response to treatment after withdrawal of treatment, which was used for persistent wheeze at age 0-3 in phase 1 of the study. Primary outcome in phase 2 is current asthma at specific visits till age 10 years, which is diagnosed in children fulfilling the persistent wheeze algorithm at any point during the first 10 years of life and still needing inhaled corticosteroids at specific visits (3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10 years of age) to control the symptoms.
- Lung function measurements [ Time Frame: 5-10 years of age ]Spirometry measuring airflow assessed by FEV1, MMEF and FEV1/FVC ratio at age 5, 6, 8 and 10 years.
- Infections [ Time Frame: 3-10 years of age ]Prescribed medicine for infections. Types and length of infections
- Growth [ Time Frame: 3- 10 years of age ]
Anthropometrics:
Clinical follow up on the development of weight in kg (calibrated digital weight scales), height in cm (Harpenden stadiometer), waist-, thorax- and head circumference in cm (using tape; 3 times each) at every visit till age 10 years assessed longitudinally in the research clinic.
- Cognitive function [ Time Frame: 10 years of age ]A 2,5 hours cognitive evaluation at 10 years of age. Cognitive functions from a broad spectrum of cognitive domains will be assessed with subtests both using paper pencil tests and Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery .
- Behavioral and psychopathological dimensions. [ Time Frame: 6- 10 years of age ]Questionnaires will be administered to the parents.
- MRI scanning of the Brain [ Time Frame: 10 years of age ]MRI scanning of the Brain
- Eczema [ Time Frame: 3-10 years of age ]Age at onset of eczema diagnosed prospectively by research doctors according to predefined algorithm based upon Hanifin and Rajka criteria
- Allergic sensitization/atopy [ Time Frame: 6-10 years of age ]Allergic sensitization at 6 and 10 years of age assessed by skin prick test (ALK-Abelló, Denmark) and specific IgE in blood (ImmunoCAP, PHarmacia Diagnostics AB, Sweden).
- Airway mucosal immune status [ Time Frame: 3-10 years of age ]Immune status measured in airway mucosal lining fluid at 3, 6 and 10 years of age (combined assessments by principal component analyses for each age point).
- The diagnose allergic rhinitis [ Time Frame: 3-10 years of age ]Allergic rhinitis will be diagnosed by combining allergic sensitization with symptom recording of troublesome congestion or sneezing or runny nose upon relevant exposure to allergens at age 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10 years.
- Asthma exacerbations: [ Time Frame: 3-10 years of age ]Age at onset and number of severe asthma exacerbation diagnosed by predefined criteria of acute severe asthma requiring oral/ high dose inhaled steroids or acute hospital contact
- Airway resistance [ Time Frame: 3-10 years of age ]Measured by plethysmography (sRaw) at age 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10 years.
- Airway resistance [ Time Frame: 3-5 years of age ]Multiple breath wash-out using SF6 and N2 as inert gasses to determined LCI, Scond and Sacin at ages 3, 4 and 5 years.
- Bronchial reactivity: [ Time Frame: at 6 years of age ]Provocative dose of methacholine leading to a 20% drop in FEV1 from baseline (PD20 value) at age 6 years.
- Airway inflammation: [ Time Frame: 6-10 years of age ]Measurement of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) at age 6, 8 and 10 years
- Body composition [ Time Frame: 3-10 years of age ]
Body composition measured as fat mass, lean mass, bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density assessed (BMD) through DXA scans at 3 and 6 years of age.
Body impedance measurements at 10 years of age.

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Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | Female |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | Yes |
Inclusion Criteria:
Mother:
- Pregnant in week 22-26 of gestation
- Participating in the ABC-cohort
- Living in Sealand, Denmark
- Fluent in Danish
- Willing to let the child participate in the study
Exclusion Criteria:
Mother:
- Intake of more than 400 IU of vitamin D during the last 6 months
- Endocrinological disease such as calcium metabolic disorder, parathyroid disorder, thyroid disorder or Diabetes type 1
- Tuberculosis
- Sarcoidosis
- In need of diuretics or heart medication including calcium channel blockers

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00856947
Denmark | |
Copenhagen University Hospital of Copenhagen | |
Gentofte, Denmark, 2820 | |
Næstved Hospital, Pediatric Department | |
Næstved, Denmark, 4700 |
Principal Investigator: | Hans Bisgaard, MD, DMSc | Copenhagen Studies on Asthma in Childhood |
Responsible Party: | Copenhagen Studies on Asthma in Childhood |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT00856947 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
2008-007871-26 |
First Posted: | March 6, 2009 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | March 9, 2022 |
Last Verified: | March 2022 |
wheeze infections allergy eczema vitamin D |
Respiratory Hypersensitivity Hypersensitivity, Immediate Hypersensitivity Vitamin D Cholecalciferol Vitamins Asthma Bronchial Diseases |
Respiratory Tract Diseases Lung Diseases, Obstructive Lung Diseases Immune System Diseases Micronutrients Physiological Effects of Drugs Bone Density Conservation Agents Calcium-Regulating Hormones and Agents |