Bone Abstracts

Fractures in children are common; prospective cohort studies suggest narrower bones predispose to fracture. Early life events can influence later growth and development. Observational studies suggest children born to mothers with lower vitamin D levels during pregnancy have narrower bones. We investigated the effects of maternal vitamin D deficiency on offspring’s bones’ response to mechanical loading in a model system.C57BL/6 female mice (...

Fractures in infancy raise the spectre of child abuse; it has been suggested that lack of vitamin D could result in bone abnormalities that could predispose to fractures. We utilised a mouse model system to investigate whether vitamin D deficiency in utero alters early bone growth and development.C57BL/6 female mice received vitamin D deficient or replete diet for 6 weeks, then mated and continued on their respective diets until weaning. Pups were culled...