Vitamin D levels rise during pregnancy

Created October 2016

Vitamin D Status during Pregnancy in a Multi-Ethnic Population-Representative Swedish Cohort

Nutrients 2016, 8(10), 655; doi:10.3390/nu8100655

Linnea Bärebring 1, Inez Schoenmakers 2,3, Anna Glantz 4, Lena Hulthén 1, Åse Jagner 4, Joy Ellis 5, Mattias Bärebring 6, Maria Bullarbo 7,8 and Hanna Augustin 1

* 78 percent of pregnant immigrants in Sweden had less than 10 ng low vitamin D – Nov 2013 * 80 percent of South Asian Women in UK had less than 10 ng of vitamin D in winter – April 2012 * Vitamin D once during pregnancy reduced infant health care costs (300 times ROI) – RCT Dec 2015 * Ethnicity and low vitamin D levels during pregnancy – Jan 2016 Norway | | | | --- | --- | | < 10 ng | Mother was born in | | 45 % | South Asia | | 40 % | Middle East | | 26 % | Sub-Saharan Africa | | 3% | East Asia | | 1 % | Western Europe | Pregnancy category starts with {include} Healthy pregnancies need lots of vitamin D has the following summary {include}

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Graphs of vitamin D during 1st and 3rd trimesters

Upper pair = All women (not just light skinned)

Lower pair = Asian/African women

If very low Vitamin D (< 12 ng) the woman is 22X more likely to be an Asian woman

Specuation: Muslim women wearing concealing clothing, and Swedish women taking cod liver oil and/or fish diet

There is currently little information on changes in vitamin D status during pregnancy and its predictors. The aim was to study the determinants of change in vitamin D status during pregnancy and of vitamin D deficiency (<30 nmol/L) in early pregnancy. Blood was drawn in the first (T1) and third trimester (T3). Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) (N = 1985) was analysed by liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry. Season-corrected 25(OH)D was calculated by fitting cosine functions to the data. Mean (standard deviation) 25(OH)D was 64.5(24.5) nmol/L at T1 and 74.6(34.4) at T3. Mean age was 31.3(4.9) years, mean body mass index (BMI) was 24.5(4.2) kg/m2 and 74% of the women were born in Sweden. Vitamin D deficiency was common among women born in Africa (51%) and Asia (46%) and prevalent in 10% of the whole cohort. Determinants of vitamin D deficiency at T1 were of non-North European origin, and had less sun exposure, lower vitamin D intake and lower age. Season-corrected 25(OH)D increased by 11(23) nmol/L from T1 to T3. The determinants of season-corrected change in 25(OH)D were origin, sun-seeking behaviour, clothing style, dietary vitamin D intake, vitamin D supplementation and recent travel <35° N. In conclusion, season-corrected 25(OH)D concentration increased during pregnancy and depended partly on lifestyle factors. The overall prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was low but common among women born in Africa and Asia. Among them, the determinants of both vitamin D deficiency and change in season-corrected vitamin D status were fewer, indicating a smaller effect of sun exposure.

Tags: Pregnancy