Preterm birth and low Vitamin D - many studies

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Summary

Preterm birth rates are higher if

• Low vitamin D
• Low Omega-3
• Poor vitamin D receptor
• Dark Skin
• High BMI

Preterm birth rates decrease when add

• Vitamin D (if low, and most people are)
• Omega-3 (if low Omega-3 index, like most people)
• Zinc (small decrease)
• VDR activator (not yet proven)

Premies' lifetime healthcare costs will decrease if add Vitamin D

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139+ VitaminDWiki pages have PRE-TERM etc. in the title

This list is automatically updated

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Preterm Charts

US - 2022

global rate increasing

Suspect lifetime cost of health problems of preemies exceeds that of term birth

Only includes the first 6 month costs. Ignores additional costs for the rest of the life

Preterm Birth rates around the world (Lancet)

the study is on this page

Preterm birth rate increased 60 percent in 50 years (US)

From data gathered from web by Henry Lahore Nov 2017

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Preterm birth 7 times more likely if low vitamin D 1 month before – May 2023

Post-hoc Analysis of NICHD Vitamin D Pregnancy Cohort and The Role of Functional Vitamin D Deficiency in Pregnancy
Am J Perinatol. 2023 May 22. doi: 10.1055/a-2097-2098 PDF is behind paywall
Shellie Davis 1, Elliott Lyles 2, Judy Shary 3, Myla Ebeling 4, Susan G Reed 1, John E Baatz 1, Bruce W Hollis 3, Carol L Wagner 1

Objective: Conduct a secondary, post-hoc analysis of NICHD vitamin D (vitD) pregnancy study by Hollis et al. (Hollis, 2011), which reported on the effect of vitD supplementation in pregnant women, and determine the potential interaction between intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) concentrations, vitD status, and various comorbidities associated with pregnancy.

Hypothesis: Women with low 25(OH)D concentrations and high iPTH concentrations during pregnancy, known as functional vitD deficiency (FVDD), were more likely to acquire complications also affecting their neonates.

Study design: This post-hoc analysis of data collected from a diverse group of pregnant women participating in the NICHD vitD pregnancy study, was applied to investigate the applicability of the concept of FVDD in pregnancy (Hemmingway, 2018) in identifying potential risks for certain comorbidities of pregnancy. This analysis defines FVDD as maternal serum 25(OH)D concentrations below 20 ng/mL and iPTH concentrations above 65 pg/mL creating a definitive ratio number, 0.308, to classify mothers as having FVDD prior to delivery (PTD). Statistical analyses were performed using SAS 9.4 (Cary, NC).

Results: 281 women (85 African American, 115 Hispanic, 81 Caucasian) with 25(OH)D and iPTH concentrations measured at monthly visits were included in this analysis. No statistically significant association was found between mothers classified as having FVDD at baseline or one-month PTD and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, infection, or admittance to the NICU. When combining all comorbidities of pregnancy in this cohort, results showed those with FVDD at baseline, 24 weeks' gestation, and one-month PTD were more likely to experience a comorbidity (p=0.001; p=0.001; p=0.004, respectively).
Those with FVDD one-month PTD were 7.1 times (CI 1.71-29.81) more likely to have preterm birth (<37 weeks) than women without FVDD.

Conclusions: Participants were more likely to have experienced preterm birth if they met the criteria for FVDD. This study supports the importance of FVDD during pregnancy.

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VitaminDWiki - Pregnancy category contains

889 items in Pregnancy category

 - see also

• Overview Pregnancy and vitamin D
• Number of articles in both categories of Pregnancy and:Dark Skin 28;   Depression 21;   Diabetes 44;   Obesity 15;  Hypertension 44;   Breathing 35;  Omega-3 40;  Vitamin D Receptor 24 Click here for details
• All items in category Infant/Child 830 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: 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 136 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
  

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VitaminDWiki - Healthy pregnancies need lots of vitamin D contains

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

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Global preterm birth rates 2010 - Lancet

National, regional, and worldwide estimates of preterm birth rates in the year 2010 with time trends since 1990 for selected countries: a systematic analysis and implications
Published:June 09, 2012 DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60820-4

Background
Preterm birth is the second largest direct cause of child deaths in children younger than 5 years. Yet, data regarding preterm birth (<37 completed weeks of gestation) are not routinely collected by UN agencies, and no systematic country estimates nor time trend analyses have been done. We report worldwide, regional, and national estimates of preterm birth rates for 184 countries in 2010 with time trends for selected countries, and provide a quantitative assessment of the uncertainty surrounding these estimates.
Methods
We assessed various data sources according to prespecified inclusion criteria. National Registries (563 datapoints, 51 countries), Reproductive Health Surveys (13 datapoints, eight countries), and studies identified through systematic searches and unpublished data (162 datapoints, 40 countries) were included. 55 countries submitted additional data during WHO's country consultation process. For 13 countries with adequate quality and quantity of data, we estimated preterm birth rates using country-level loess regression for 2010. For 171 countries, two regional multilevel statistical models were developed to estimate preterm birth rates for 2010. We estimated time trends from 1990 to 2010 for 65 countries with reliable time trend data and more than 10 000 livebirths per year. We calculated uncertainty ranges for all countries.

Findings
In 2010, an estimated 14·9 million babies (uncertainty range 12·3–18·1 million) were born preterm, 11·1% of all livebirths worldwide, ranging from about 5% in several European countries to 18% in some African countries. More than 60% of preterm babies were born in south Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, where 52% of the global livebirths occur. Preterm birth also affects rich countries, for example, USA has high rates and is one of the ten countries with the highest numbers of preterm births. Of the 65 countries with estimated time trends, only three (Croatia, Ecuador, and Estonia), had reduced preterm birth rates 1990–2010.

Interpretation
The burden of preterm birth is substantial and is increasing in those regions with reliable data. Improved recording of all pregnancy outcomes and standard application of preterm definitions is important. We recommend the addition of a data-quality indicator of the per cent of all live preterm births that are under 28 weeks' gestation. Distinguishing preterm births that are spontaneous from those that are provider-initiated is important to monitor trends associated with increased caesarean sections. Rapid scale up of basic interventions could accelerate progress towards Millennium Development Goal 4 for child survival and beyond.
 Download the PDF from VitaminDWiki

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115,000 hits for preterm etc. and "Vitamin D" as of Dec 2023

Google Scholar

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Asked Chat-GPT: "What health problems do preemies have as adults?" (Dec 2023)

Premature babies, often referred to as "preemies," can face a range of health issues in adulthood, which are partly determined by the degree of prematurity and the medical complications they experienced as infants. Some of the common long-term health problems that preemies may encounter as adults include:

1. Respiratory Problems: Premature babies are at a higher risk for developing respiratory issues, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), because their lungs may not have fully developed before birth.
2. Cardiovascular Issues: Adults who were born prematurely may have a higher risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. This increased risk is thought to be related to the underdevelopment of the heart and vascular system in preemies.
3. Neurological Problems: Premature birth can affect brain development, leading to a higher risk of neurological disorders in adulthood, such as cerebral palsy, learning disabilities, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
4. Metabolic Disorders: Being born prematurely is associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndromes, such as type 2 diabetes and obesity, in adulthood.
5. Visual and Hearing Impairments: Premature infants are at a higher risk for vision and hearing problems, which can persist into adulthood. Conditions like retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) can lead to visual impairment.
6. Mental Health Issues: There is evidence suggesting that adults who were born prematurely may have an increased risk of mental health disorders, including depression and anxiety.
7. Dental Problems: Preemies might face a higher risk of dental issues, including enamel hypoplasia (defective enamel), which can lead to an increased risk of cavities and other dental problems.
8. Reproductive Challenges: Women who were born prematurely may experience reproductive issues, such as a higher risk of giving birth prematurely themselves.

It's important to note that while preemies are at a higher risk for these health problems, not all premature babies will experience them. Advances in neonatal care have significantly improved the outcomes for premature babies, and many go on to lead healthy lives. Regular medical follow-up and a healthy lifestyle can help mitigate some of these risks.

Note: Many of these health problems have been treated by Vitamin D

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