New study of vitamin D and school-age language difficulties

Could the so-called autism epidemic be partly explained as an upswing of misdiagnosed developmental language impairment resulting from an increase in vitamin D deficiency, at least in Australia?

Language skills linked to mother's time in sun
by Melissa Davey
Sydney Morning Herald
February 16, 2012.
http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/diet-and-fitness/language-skills-linked-to-mothers-time-in-sun-20120215-1t6rx.html#ixzz1mTBeZyve

Maternal Serum Vitamin D Levels During Pregnancy and Offspring Neurocognitive Development.
Andrew J. O. Whitehouse, PhD, Barbara J. Holt, BSc, Michael Serralha, BSc(Hons), Patrick G. Holt, DSc, Merci M. H. Kusel, MBBS, and Prue H. Hart, PhD
Pediatrics.
Published online February 13, 2012. (doi: 10.1542/peds.2011-2644)
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2012/02/08/peds.2011-2644.abstract

New research links poor language to lack of Vitamin D in womb.
Telethon Institute for Child Health Research
14 February, 2012
http://www.ichr.uwa.edu.au/media/1346

I'd like to add that the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research should be commended for investigating the important issue of the re-emergence of vitamin D deficiency as a public health issue in Australia, in the face of vocal and entrenched opposition from groups who have advocated extreme sun protection with the aim of preventing skin cancer, and the general resitance to new ideas in the Australian medical profession. This institute, based in Western Australia, does a lot of research on autism and related conditions, and I anticipate the results of their studies with interest.