Vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy may affect fetal thymus development.
The aim of our study was to evaluate the association of vitamin D deficiency (VDD) during pregnancy with thymus size in full-term fetuses.



In this prospective study, we evaluated mid-pregnancy serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3) concentrations. The fetal thymus size was measured by ultrasound in the third trimester. Neonatal 25(OH)D3 levels were evaluated by umbilical cord blood sampling. Correlation of maternal and neonatal vitamin D levels and association between thymus size and both, maternal and neonatal vitamin D concentrations were investigated.



Serum 25(OH) D3 concentrations were within the normal range in 48 (29.8%) mothers and 10 (13.1%) new-borns. A strong correlation between mid-pregnancy maternal and neonatal 25(OH)D3 concentration (r = 0.8, p < 0.001) was found. A significant linear correlation was observed between both, maternal and neonatal 25(OH)D3 concentrations and thymus perimeter length (r = 0.45, p = 0.04 and r = 0.43, p < 0.01, respectively). Both, maternal and fetal VDDs were associated with decreased thymus perimeter (p = 0.04, p = 0.03).



Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy may be associated with smaller fetal thymus. Our data suggest that VDD in pregnancy may lead to systemic inflammatory response in the fetus.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Katip Celebi University, İzmir, Turkey. esrabaharg@yahoo.com.
Esra Bahar
EB
Gur
Mehmet Serkan
MS
Gur
Ozlem
O
Ince
Esin
E
Kasap
Mine
M
Genc
Sumeyra
S
Tatar
Sultan
S
Bugday
Guluzar Arzu
GA
Turan
Serkan
S
Guclu
D000328:Adult; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood; D047109:Fetal Development / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009929:Organ Size; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000097:blood*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000254:growth & development / Q000473:pathology; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D014815:Vitamins / Q000494:pharmacology
D014815:Vitamins; D014807:Vitamin D
fetal thymus size; pregnancy; vitamin D deficiency