title: The role of vitamin D in pregnancy and lactation: insights from animal models and clinical studies.
abstract: Maternal adaptations during pregnancy and lactation appear to provide calcium to fetus and neonate without relying on vitamin D or calcitriol. Consequently, the blood calcium, calciotropic hormones, and skeleton appear normal at birth in the offspring of mothers who are severely vitamin D deficient or who lack calcitriol or its receptor. It remains unclear whether skeletal or extraskeletal problems will develop postnatally from exposure to vitamin D deficiency in utero. During the neonatal period, calcitriol-stimulated intestinal calcium absorption becomes the dominant mechanism of calcium delivery. The vitamin D-deficient neonate is at risk to develop hypocalcemia, rickets, and possibly extraskeletal disorders (e.g., type 1 diabetes). Breastfed babies are at higher risk of vitamin D deficiency because normally little vitamin D or 25-hydroxyvitamin D passes into breast milk. Dosing recommendations during pregnancy and lactation should ensure that the baby is born vitamin D sufficient and maintained that way during infancy and beyond.
authors.affiliation: Health Sciences Centre, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada. ckovacs@mun.ca
authors.forename: Christopher S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Kovacs
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007774:Lactation / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control; D039401:Prenatal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000151:congenital / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D; D002118:Calcium