title: Insufficient vitamin D intakes among pregnant women.
abstract: Vitamin D has an important role in pregnancy in promoting fetal skeletal health. Maternal dietary intake is a key factor influencing both maternal and fetal status. There are limited data available on food groups contributing to vitamin D intake in pregnancy. The aim of this study was to determine dietary intakes of vitamin D throughout pregnancy in 64 women and to determine the main food groups contributing to vitamin D intake. Results showed that median dietary intakes of vitamin D ranged from 1.9-2.1 μg/d during pregnancy, and were 80% below the current recommendation. The principal food groups contributing to vitamin D intake were meat, egg and breakfast cereal groups. Oily fish, the best dietary source of vitamin D, was consumed by <25% of women. These data call for more education; they question the role of vitamin D supplementation and highlight the contribution of other food groups more frequently consumed, namely, breakfast cereals, meat and eggs.
authors.affiliation: UCD Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine and Medical Science, University College Dublin, National Maternity Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. cmcgowa@gmail.com
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: McGowan
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Byrne
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: McAuliffe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004032:Diet; D002523:Edible Grain; D004531:Eggs; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D005527:Food, Fortified; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D008460:Meat; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D044465:White People; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014815:Vitamins; D014807:Vitamin D