A report has shown that official health guidelines could be over exaggeration the importance of taking vitamin D supplements during pregnancy.

The study looked at 4,000 pairs of mother and child and found that maternal vitamin levels are not associated with bone health later in life.

Professor Debbie Lawlor of the University of Bristol said: “We believe that there is no strong evidence that pregnant women should receive vitamin D supplementation to prevent low BMC (bone mineral content) in their offspring, although we cannot comment on other possible effects of vitamin D in pregnant women.”

The NHS recommends that pregnant women and women who are breast feeding should take ten micrograms supplement of vitamin D each day. They also say if it is not taken their child could be a subject to soft bones.