Suggest that all pregnant women get or be tested for vitamin D
Vitamin D status and its predictive factors in pregnancy in 2 Australian populations
Sumathy PERAMPALAM1,2,3,
Kirtan GANDA2,
Kerri-Anne CHOW1,
Nicole OPIE1,
Peter E. HICKMAN4,5,
Bruce SHADBOLT5,6,
Annemarie HENNESSY3,7,
Harry GRUNSTEIN2,3,
Christopher J. NOLAN1,5
DOI: 10.1111/j.1479-828X.2011.01313.x
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Vol. 51 Issue 2, Article first published online: 18 MAY 2011
Background:? High prevalence rates of suboptimal vitamin D levels have been observed in women who are not considered ‘at risk’. The effect of behavioural factors such as sun exposure, attire, sunscreen use and vitamin D supplementation on vitamin D levels in pregnancy is unknown.
Aim:? To determine prevalence and predictive factors of suboptimal vitamin D levels in 2 antenatal clinics in Australia – Campbelltown, NSW and Canberra, ACT.
Methods:? A cross-sectional study of pregnant women was performed with a survey of demographic and behavioural factors and a mid-pregnancy determination of maternal vitamin D levels.
Results:? The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (?25 nmol/L) and insufficiency (26–50 nmol/L) was 35% in Canberra (n = 100) and 25.7% in Campbelltown (n = 101). The majority of participants with suboptimal D levels had vitamin D insufficiency. Among the vitamin D-deficient women, 38% were Caucasian. Skin exposure was the main behavioural determinant of vitamin D level in pregnancy in univariate analysis. Using pooled data ethnicity, season, BMI and use of vitamin D supplements were the main predictive factors of suboptimal vitamin D. Vitamin D supplementation at 500 IU/day was inadequate to prevent insufficiency.
Conclusions:? Behavioural factors were not as predictive as ethnicity, season and BMI. As most participants had one of the predictive risk factors for suboptimal vitamin D, a case could be made for universal supplementation with a higher dose of vitamin D in pregnancy and continued targeted screening of the women at highest risk of vitamin D deficiency.
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Author of article
suggest the current practice of only screening women who have traditionally recognised risk factors for vitamin D deficiency may need to change as their findings show it is not only non-Caucasian women ..