Presented at International Symposium on Vitamin D Deficiency - Abu Dhabi March 2012

Prof. Bruce Hollis

Qualifications: Ph.D.

Position: Director of Pediatric Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina, USA

Vitamin D Supplementation during Pregnancy and Its Effect on Pregnancy Outcomes

The function and requirement of vitamin D during pregnancy for both mother and fetus has remained a mystery.

This fact was highlighted by The Cochrane Review in 1999 that reported a lack of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with respect to vitamin D requirements during pregnancy.

Unfortunately, during the past decade only a single RCT has been performed with respect to vitamin D requirements during pregnancy.

In this review we will discuss vitamin D metabolism during pregnancy as well as the consequences of vitamin D deficiency on skeletal, non-skeletal and birth outcomes using birth observational data and data from our recent RCT.

New RCT data strongly support previous observational studies in that improving nutritional vitamin D status will improve birth outcomes.

The new RCT data indicates that 4,000 IU/d vitamin D3 during pregnancy will "normalize" vitamin D Metabolism and improve birth outcomes including primary cesarean section and co-morbidities of pregnancy with no Risk of side effects.

PDF    [tiki-download_file.php?fileId=2117]

Sample slides

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See also VitaminDWiki

• International Symposium on Vitamin D Deficiency - Abu Dhabi March 2012

• Dark skin births are much riskier due to lack of vitamin D big concern for the Middle East

• CDC vitamin D statistics for women: including blacks and high BMI – March 2012 which has the following chart

• Overview Vitamin D: Before, During, and After Pregnancy many items by Dr. Hollis
  • Summary of Overview as of March 2012

Dose    IU	Cumulative Benefit	Blood level and notes	Co-factors (see list)	Calcium	$*/year
400	* less infant rickets

+ 3X less adolescent Schizophrenia
+ fewer child seizures | <30 ng/ml | Not needed | No effect | $3 | | 2000 | * More likely to get pregnant naturally or via IVF
+ fewer dental problems with pregnancy
+ 8X less diabetes
+ 4X fewer C-sections (>37 ng)
+ 4X less preeclampsia (40 ng vs 10 ng)
+ 5X less child asthma
+ 2X less language problems age 10 | 42 ng/ml | Desirable | < 750 mg | $12 | | 4000 | * 2X fewer pregnancy complications
+ 2X fewer per-term births | 49 ng/ml
Test Vitamin D | Must have | < 750 mg | $175 | | 6000 | * probable larger benefits for items listed above
+ Enough D for breastfed infant
+ Perhaps prevent 2nd autistic child | Test Vitamin D
clinical trials underway | Must have | < 750 mg | $200 |