title: Avoidance of vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy in the United Kingdom: the case for a unified approach in National policy.
abstract: Prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in Western populations is high; pregnant women are identified as a high-risk group, especially if dark skinned. Consequences of severe clinical vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy can be life threatening to the newborn, while lesser degrees of hypovitaminosis D may have important long-term implications for offspring health. Past experiences with routine provision of 10 microg/d (400 IU/d) to all pregnant mothers suggest that this dose is sufficient to prevent overt neonatal complications of vitamin D deficiency. Recent data suggest that supplementation with dosages above 10 microg/d may be required for optimal health in the mother and child; however, further research is required for the assessment of the benefits and safety of supplementation with higher dosages. Lack of unified advice on vitamin D supplementation of pregnant mothers in the UK hinders the implementation of primary prevention strategies and is likely to leave some deficient mothers without supplementation.
authors.affiliation: MRC Centre of Epidemiology for Child Health, UCL Institute of Child Health and Centre for Paediatric Epidemiology and Biostatistics, 30 Guilford Street, London, UK. e.hypponen@ich.ucl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Elina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hyppönen
authors.forename: Barbara J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Boucher
mesh_terms: D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D