Vitamin D is important for pregnancies (pigs as well as people)– Sept 2022

---

Associations between maternal vitamin D status and porcine litter characteristics throughout gestation

J Anim Sci Biotechnol. 2022 Sep 20;13(1):106. doi: 10.1186/s40104-022-00760-w.
Claire Stenhouse 1 2 , Emma Hurst 3 , Richard J Mellanby 3 , Cheryl J Ashworth 4

Emerging evidence suggests an important role of vitamin D in the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy, and the regulation of foetal growth across mammalian species. However, the temporal changes in maternal vitamin D status throughout gestation in the pig and the relationship between maternal vitamin D status and litter characteristics of interest across gestation remain poorly understood and under-investigated. The abundance of 25(OH)D in maternal plasma was quantified by HPLC-MS/MS at gestational days (GD) 18, 30, 45, 60 and 90 (n = 5-11 gilsts/GD).
Maternal plasma 25(OH)D concentrations significantly increased between GD18 and GD30 (P < 0.05). The relationship between maternal vitamin D metabolite concentrations and litter characteristics of interest including gilt weight, ovulation rate, mean litter weight, number of live foetuses, percentage prenatal survival, and sex ratio of the litter was assessed. Maternal 25(OH)D (P = 0.059) concentrations tended to be positively associated with percentage prenatal survival on GD60.
On GD90, maternal 25(OH)D (P < 0.05) concentrations were inversely associated with gilt weight. Maternal plasma 25(OH)D concentrations were inversely associated with the percentage of male foetuses in the litter on GD90 (P < 0.05).
This study has provided novel insights into temporal changes in maternal vitamin D status throughout gestation and the relationship between maternal vitamin D status and the economically important litter characteristics of gilt weight, percentage prenatal survival and percentage of male foetuses in the litter. Improving the understanding of the role of vitamin D across important developmental timepoints in relation to foetal growth is essential to improve reproductive success in livestock species.
 Download the PDF from VitaminDWiki

---

VitaminDWiki - Pregnancy category (take D BEFORE conception)

930 items in Pregnancy category

 - 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 46;  Vitamin D Receptor 24 Click here for details
• All items in category Infant/Child 859 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
  

---

VitaminDWiki - Healthy pregnancies need lots of vitamin D

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

---

Should give 50,000 IU Vitamin D free to all non-obese, healthy adults

• One pill every two weeks gives you all the vitamin D most adults need 27 health problems
• Should get 50,000 Vitamin D WEEKLY if:
  • Have any of 29 additional health problems
  • Obese
  • 
• Normal weight     Obese     (50 ng = 125 nanomole)
  • Click here for 2014 study

---

VitaminDWiki - Overview Veterinary and vitamin D contains

Veterinary category has 155 items

Animals need Vitamin D too

• Vitamin D is important for pregnancies (pigs as well as people)– Sept 2022
• Many Vitamin D similarities: people and cows - March 2022
• Several advanced-maternal-age problems reduced if given Vitamin D during pregnancy (mice in this case) – July 2021
• Poor immune system associated with low Vitamin D (dogs in this case) – June 2020
• Chicken bones, eggs, and activated vitamin D in eggs increased with 2 hours of daily UVB – Dec 2019
• Vitamin D in eggs increased 4X after UV lighting near legs was added – April 2019
• Hens with Vitamin D were better in at least 5 ways – RCT Aug 2018

Pets as well

• Critically ill dogs with good levels of vitamin D have much better outcomes (humans too) – March 2018
• Half of dogs now get cancer, it used to be just 1 percent (probably low Vitamin D)
• Dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, pet birds, etc need Vitamin D
• Dogs with Cancer have low vitamin D, same as humans – Sept 2017
• Companion animals (dog, cats) need vitamin D too – March 2016
• Hospitalized cats 8X more likely to die if low vitamin D (Vit. D helps humans too) – May 2015
• Rickets increasing in dogs

Farm Vets are paid when their "patients" are healthy,
   vs doctors who are paid only when "patients" become sick
Cows are routinely given 30 IU per kilogram (which would be 10,000 IU for a 150 lb person)
Same information is available on Cattle need 66 IU of vitamin D per pound
The US RDA of vitamin D for cows is 13 IU per kilogram (which would be 4,300 IU for a 150 lb 'cow')
Virtually all US farmers who raise livestock use feed that is supplemented with vitamin D
Merick Vet Manual supplement if not have UV or sunlight