Maternal vitamin D status throughout and after pregnancy.
Prospective longitudinal study of vitamin D status and its risk factors in 75 pregnant women from early pregnancy until 6 months postpartum, by serial measurement of serum 25 (OH) vitamin D levels. The serum levels at booking were not significantly different between nationalities (p = 0.06), parity (p = 0.2), education levels (p = 0.4), dress code (p > 0.5), consumption of vitamin D fortified milk (p = 0.2) or, fatty fish (p = 0.5), sun-exposed body surface area (p = 0.3), weekly time exposed to the sun (p = 0.08) or the sun exposure index (p = 0.2). Vitamin D status progressively worsened as the proportion with adequate serum levels fell from 31% at the antenatal visit, to 23% after birth and 17%, 6 months later (p = 0.02). While 80% of mothers who were exclusively breast-feeding had low vitamin D levels 6 months after delivery, this occurred in only 67% of those partially breast-feeding (p = 0.6).
Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. hassib.narchi@uaeu.ac.ae
H
H
Narchi
J
J
Kochiyil
R
R
Zayed
W
W
Abdulrazzak
M
M
Agarwal
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000208:ethnology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014479:United Arab Emirates / Q000453:epidemiology; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000208:ethnology*; D055815:Young Adult