Should routine screening for vitamin D deficiency be performed in pregnancy?
Evidence-Based Practice Evidence-Based Practice Vol. 19 | No. 11 | November 2016
Abstract Should routine screening for vitamin D deficiency be performed in pregnancy?
Evidence-based answer: No. Low vitamin D levels in pregnancy are associated with worse outcomes than no vitamin deficiency; however, supplementation does not conclusively improve outcomes (SOR: B, meta-analyses of observational studies and RCTs). The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) recommends against screening for vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy (SOR: C, expert opinion)
VitaminDWiki
The 2014 meta-analysis which they based their decision on generally used 800 IU of vitamin D
137 health problems associated with low vitamin D – meta-meta-analysis April 2014
Over 400 studies of Vitamin D during pregnancy have only rarely found a benefit at 800 IU.
Good benefits start at 4,000 IU – 5 times large dose than what the meta-analysis considered
If this had been aspirin instead of vitamin D the conclusion could have been:
Do not bother testing for headaches if you are only going to prescribe 1/5 of a tablet of aspirin, such a low dose does not help headaches
See also VitaminDWiki
- 3,800 IU Vitamin D during pregnancy did not help much – RCT Jan 2017
- Gestational Diabetes treated with 50,000 IU every two weeks – RCT Sept 2016
- Preeclampsia reduced by Vitamin D (50,000 IU bi-weekly) and Calcium – Oct 2015
- Preterm birth rate reduced by 43 percent with adequate Vitamin D supplementation – meta-analysis Feb 2017
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
Pregnancy category starts with
- see also
- Overview Pregnancy and vitamin D
- Number of articles in both categories of Pregnancy and:Dark Skin
30 ; Depression 21 ; Diabetes 44 ; Obesity 18 ; Hypertension 44 ; Breathing 36 ; Omega-3 44 ; Vitamin D Receptor 24 Click here for details - All items in category Infant/Child
855 items - Pregnancy needs at least 40 ng of vitamin D, achieved by at least 4,000 IU – Hollis Aug 2017
- 38+ papers with Breastfed etc, in the title
- Call to action – more Vitamin D for pregnancies, loading doses are OK – Holick Aug 2019
- 53+ preeclampsia studies
- 94+ studies with PRETERM in the title
- Fertility problem (PCOS) reduced by vitamin D, etc: many studies 15+
- 94+ Gestational Diabetes
- Caesarean birth much more likely if low Vitamin D - many studies 15+ studies
- Post-partum depression and low Vitamin D - many studies 15+ studies
- Stillbirth reduced by Vitamin D, Zinc, Omega-3 - several studies 5+ studies
- Search VitaminDWiki for "Assisted reproduction" 33 items as of Aug 2022
- Fertility and Sperm category listing has
142 items along with related searches - (Stunting OR “low birth weight” OR LBW) 1180 items as of June 2020
- Less labor pain if higher level of vitamin D – August 2021
- Healthy pregnancies need lots of vitamin D
- Ensure a healthy pregnancy and baby - take Vitamin D before conception
Meta-analyses of Pregnancy and Vitamin D
- Pregnancy and offspring health - umbrella of 250,000 pregnancies - meta-analysis May 2024
- Vitamin D reduces: pre-eclampia 1.6 X, postpartum dep. 3.6 X, autism 1.5X etc. - meta-analysis March 2024
- Vitamin D supplementation decreased the risk of preeclampsia by 39% – meta-analysis Feb 2024
- Yet another reason to take Vitamin D while pregnant – fight COVID - meta-analysis May 2023
- Vitamin D during pregnancy increased child’s bone mineral density – meta-analysis April 2023
- Preeclampsia reduced by 33 percent if high vitamin D – meta-analysis Feb 2023
- Maternal pregnancy problems if Vitamin D is less than 40 ng – meta-analysis Oct 2022
- Worse COVID during 3Q pregnancy if 2.5 ng lower Vitamin D – meta-analysis Sept 2022
- Miscarriage 1.6 X more likely if low vitamin D – meta-analysis May 2022
- Recurrent Miscarriage 4X more likely if low vitamin D – meta-analysis June 2022
- Pregnancy problems (LBW, PTB, SGA) associated with low vitamin D, 42nd meta-analysis – March 2022
- Low Vitamin D associated with preeclampsia - meta-analysis Feb 2022
- Low Vitamin D associated with pre-eclampsia -40th meta-analysis – Feb 2022
- Small vitamin D doses while pregnant do not decrease infant allergies – meta-analysis Feb 2022
- Anemia 1.6 X more likely during pregnancy if low Vitamin D – meta-analysis Dec 2021
- Vitamin D reduces preeclampsia, gestational diabetes and hypertension - 38th meta-analysis Dec 2021
- Need at least 6,000 IU daily while breastfeeding to eliminate Vitamin D deficiency – meta-analysis Oct 2021
- Gestational diabetes risk reduced 1.5X by Vitamin D – meta-analysis March 2021
- Gestational Diabetes – increased risk if poor Vitamin D Receptor – 2 Meta-Analyses 2021
- Small vitamin D doses given during pregnancy do not reduce childhood asthma – meta-analysis Dec 2020
- Multiple Sclerosis 40 percent more likely if mother had low vitamin D – meta-analysis Jan 2020
- Pregnancies helped by Vitamin D (insulin and birth weight in this case) – meta-analysis Oct 2019
- Preeclampsia 2.7 X less likely if 50,000 IU of Vitamin D every 2 weeks – meta-analysis Sept 2019
- Autism risk increased 30 percent by Cesareans (both low vitamin D) – meta-analysis Sept 2019
- Vitamin D treats Gestational Diabetes, decreases hospitalization and newborn complications – meta-analysis March 2019
- Birth size and weight increased by Vitamin D – meta-analysis Feb 2019
- Pregnancies helped by Vitamin D in many ways – 27th meta-analysis Jan 2019
- Vitamin D supplementation reduced SGA, fetal mortality, infant mortality – JAMA Meta – May 2018
- Gestational Diabetes 39 percent more likely if insufficient Vitamin D – Meta-analysis March 2018
- Preeclampsia reduced 2X by Vitamin D, by 5X if also add Calcium – meta-analysis Oct 2017
- Preeclampsia risk reduced 60 percent if supplement with Vitamin D (they ignored dose size) – meta-analysis Sept 2017
- Small for gestational age is 1.6 X more likely if mother was vitamin D deficient – meta-analysis Aug 2017
- Miscarriage 2 times more likely if low vitamin D – meta-analysis May 2017
- Fewer than half of pregnancies will get even 20 ng of vitamin D with 800 IU daily dose – meta-analysis May 2017
- Low Vitamin D results in adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes – Wagner meta-analysis March 2017
- Bacterial vaginosis in pregnancy increased prematurity risk by 60 percent - meta-analysis 1999
- Preterm birth rate reduced by 43 percent with adequate Vitamin D supplementation – meta-analysis Feb 2017
- Vitamin D during pregnancy reduces risk of childhood asthma by 13 percent – meta-analysis Dec 2016
- Vitamin D helps during pregnancy – meta-analysis Feb 2016
- Preterm birth 30 percent more likely if low vitamin D – meta-analysis May 2016
- Preterm birth extended by 2 weeks with Omega-3 – Meta-analysis Nov 2015
- Gestational Diabetes Mellitus 1.5X more likely if low vitamin D – meta-analysis Oct 2015
- Infant wheezing 40 percent less likely if mother supplemented with vitamin D, vitamin E, or Zinc – meta-analysis Aug 2015
- Birth weight and length increased with high levels of vitamin D – meta-analysis March 2015
- Pregnancy and Vitamin D – meta-analysis April 2015
- More vitamin D needed during pregnancy – meta-analysis Oct 2014
- Preeclampsia rate cut in half by high level of vitamin D – meta-analysis March 2014
- Preeclampsia 2.7X more frequent if low vitamin D – meta-analysis Sept 2013
- 2X more preeclampsia when vitamin D less than 30 ng, etc. - meta-analysis March 2013
- 2X more likely to have preeclampsia if less than 20 ng of vitamin D – Meta-analysis Jan 2013
Download the PDF from VitaminDWikiDo not test UK pregnancies for low vitamin D (since 800 IU does not help) – Nov 2016Printer Friendly Follow this page for updates6533 visitors, last modified 04 Mar, 2017, This page is in the following categories (# of items in each category) - All items in category Infant/Child