Apr 21, 2014 05:58 PM EDT By Jaleesa Baulkman, UniversityHerald Reporter

Children born to women who had low vitamin D levels during pregnancy are more likely to  develop cavities, according to a recent study Reuters reported.

Vitamin D is essential for health and has numerous benefits, including strengthening the teeth of a developing child. Previous studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency among mothers can lead to defects in the enamel of their toddlers' teeth.  

These defects can increase the risk of tooth decay, Reuters reported.

The study, recently published in the journal Pediatrics, examined whether low vitamin D levels in mothers during pregnancy would also translate into higher cavity rates for their toddlers.

For the study, researchers from the University of Manitoba measured vitamin D levels in the second or early third trimester in 207 pregnant women and then examined the teeth of 135 of their offspring when they were about 16 months old, Reuters reported.

About a third of the mothers used in the study had vitamin D levels that were too low.  Researchers found that 23 to 36 percent of the toddlers had cavities.

Women whose toddlers later had cavities had prenatal vitamin D levels that were significantly lower than women whose toddlers did not have cavities, according to findings published Monday in Pediatrics.

A direct relationship between low vitamin D levels in mothers and higher numbers of cavities in kids was found, Reuters reported.

In addition to low vitamin D levels in mothers, defects in the tooth enamel were also associated with cavities in kids.

Researchers said improving nutrition during tooth formation and in early childhood could reduce the risk of cavities.

"Prevention efforts should begin during pregnancy by bolstering maternal nutrition, either through improved dietary intake or supplementation with vitamin D," researchers said in the study, according to Reuters.

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