Babies who have low vitamin D levels at the time of birth have an increased risk of suffering respiratory problems in later life.
A new report from the Massachusetts General Hospital has suggested there is a link between levels of vitamin D in newborns and wheezing in childhood.
However, the study has ruled out an association between low levels of the vitamin in babies and the development of asthma.
"Our data suggest that the association between vitamin D and wheezing, which can be a symptom of many respiratory diseases and not just asthma, is largely due to respiratory infections," lead author Dr Carlos Camargo wrote in the medical journal Pediatrics.
"Acute respiratory infections are a major health problem in children. For example, bronchiolitis – a viral illness that affects small airway passages in the lungs – is the leading cause of hospitalisation in US infants."
Vitamin D is produced in the body in response to sunlight.
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