The Role of Infant Feeding and Childhood Diet in Vitamin D Deficiency in a Nineteenth-Century Rural Dutch Community

A high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, evidenced by rickets, was unexpectedly found in non-adults (<18 years) from the 19th-century rural Dutch community of Beemster Polder, despite ample sunlight exposure. Stable nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C) isotope analyses revealed that infants and children with rickets consumed significantly less eggs and fish compared to those without, suggesting dietary factors played a crucial role. Early weaning onto unpasteurized cow’s milk, sometimes at very young ages, likely exacerbated vitamin D deficiency by impairing its absorption and limiting sunlight exposure. This effect was not observed in juveniles, adolescents, or adults with residual rickets, indicating that infant and childhood diet were critical etiological agents. The study highlights the importance of stable isotope analysis in understanding past population morbidity and provides insights into disease etiology.

Waters-Rist, A. L., & Hoogland, M. L. P. (2018). The Role of Infant Feeding and Childhood Diet in Vitamin D Deficiency in a Nineteenth-Century Rural Dutch Community. Bioarchaeology International, 2(2). https://doi.org/10.5744/bi.2018.1020