800 IU vitamin D for infant and 2000 IU for mother is good, not great – RCT Dec 2013

Comment by VitaminDWiki

• 2000 IU before and after pregnancy in addition to 800 IU for infant
• Other studies have found that 2,000 IU to mother provides virtually no vitamin D via breast milk
• Note that vitamin D levels dropped in infants – 800 IU probably not enough
• Many countries now considering 1,000 to 1,600 IU for infants

---

Vitamin D During Pregnancy and Infancy and Infant Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentration

Pediactrics online December 16, 2013, (doi: 10.1542/peds.2013-2602)
Cameron C. Grant, MBChB, PhDa,
Alistair W. Stewart, BScb,
Robert Scragg, MBBS, PhDb,
Tania Milnea,
Judy Rowdena,
Alec Ekeroma, MBBSc,
Clare Wall, PhDd,
Edwin A. Mitchell, MBBS, DSca,
Sue Crengle, MBChB, PhDe,
Adrian Trenholme, MB, BChirf,
Julian Crane, MBBSg, and
Carlos A. Camargo Jr, MD, DrPHh
A Paediatrics: Child and Youth Health,
B Epidemiology and Biostatistics,
C Obstetrics and Gynaecology,
D Nutrition, and
E Te Kupenga Hauora Maori, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand;
F Women and Children's Health, Middlemore Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand;
G Medicine, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand; and
H Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts

OBJECTIVE: To determine the vitamin D dose necessary to achieve serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration ≥20 ng/mL during infancy.

METHODS: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in New Zealand. Pregnant mothers, from 27 weeks’ gestation to birth, and then their infants, from birth to age 6 months, were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 mother/infant groups: placebo/placebo, vitamin D3 1000/400 IU, or vitamin D3 2000/800 IU. Serum 25(OH)D and calcium concentrations were measured at enrollment, 36 weeks’ gestation, in cord blood, and in infants at 2, 4, and 6 months of age.

RESULTS: Two-hundred-and-sixty pregnant women were randomized. At enrollment, the proportions with serum 25(OH)D ≥20 ng/mL for placebo, lower-dose, and higher-dose groups were 54%, 64%, and 55%, respectively. The proportion with 25(OH)D ≥20 ng/mL was larger in both intervention groups at 36 weeks’ gestation (50%, 91%, 89%, P < .001). In comparison with placebo, the proportion of infants with 25(OH)D ≥20 ng/mL was larger in both intervention groups to age 4 months: cord blood (22%, 72%, 71%, P < .001), 2 months (50%, 82%, 92%, P < .001), and 4 months (66%, 87%, 87%, P = .004), but only in the higher-dose group at age 6 months (74%, 82%, 89%, P = .07; higher dose versus placebo P = .03, lower dose versus placebo P = .21).

CONCLUSIONS: Daily vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy and then infancy with 1000/400 IU or 2000/800 IU increases the proportion of infants with 25(OH)D ≥20 ng/mL, with the higher dose sustaining this increase for longer.

---

PDF is attached at the bottom of this page

See also VitaminDWiki

• 2000 IU vitamin D during pregnancy and 800 IU to infant resulted in less use of antibiotics – RCT April 2014
  poster presented at Vitamin D conference
• Breastfeeding with daily or monthly doses of vitamin D virtually the same – RCT Dec 2013 5,000 IU daily
• 1600 IU vitamin D safe for infants – RCT Nov 2102 2X more than what was used in the study on this page
• Third study found that Infants needed 1600 IU of vitamin D – JAMA RCT May 2013
• Maternal supplementation (vitamin D is an emerging topic) Lancet Oct 2013
• WHO still says mistakenly says NO vitamin D during pregnancy, and only 200 IU after and ZERO vitamin D for infant before 6 months old
• Infant-Child Category overview 854 items
• Dark skin pregnancies and Vitamin D - many studies
  dark skinned mothers typically have far lower levels of vitamin D than mothers in the study on this page
  So mothers and infants would most likely need even more vitamin D

Healthy pregnancies need lots of vitamin D has the following summary
Most were taking 2,000 to 7,000 IU daily for >50% of pregnancy
   Click on hyperlinks for details

Problem	Vit. D Reduces	Evidence
0. Chance of not conceiving	3.4 times	Observe
1. Miscarriage	2.5 times	Observe
2. Pre-eclampsia	3.6 times	RCT
3. Gestational Diabetes	3 times	RCT
4. Good 2nd trimester sleep quality	3.5 times	Observe
5. Premature birth	2 times	RCT
6. C-section - unplanned	1.6 times	Observe
Stillbirth - OMEGA-3	4 times	RCT - Omega-3
7. Depression AFTER pregnancy	1.4 times	RCT
8. Small for Gestational Age	1.6 times	meta-analysis
9. Infant height, weight, head size      within normal limits		RCT
10. Childhood Wheezing	1.3 times	RCT
11. Additional child is Autistic	4 times	Intervention
12.Young adult Multiple Sclerosis	1.9 times	Observe
13. Preeclampsia in young adult	3.5 times	RCT
14. Good motor skills @ age 3	1.4 times	Observe
15. Childhood Mite allergy	5 times	RCT
16. Childhood Respiratory Tract visits	2.5 times	RCT

RCT = Randomized Controlled Trial

See also web

• Vitamin D: Supplements for Mothers, Newborns Give a Boost Medscape description of this study