Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency in Pregnant Women: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Nutr Rev. 2025 Sep 19:nuaf168. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuaf168
Milena Martello Cristófalo 1, Júlio Oliva de Almeida Garcia 2, José Fernando Santos Aldrighi 3, Renan Martello Cristófalo 1, Maria Laura Marconi França 1, Liania Alves Luzia 1, Suleima Pedroza Vasconcelos 1 4, José Mendes Aldrighi 1
Context: Vitamin D is an essential steroid prehormone whose effects have garnered significant interest during pregnancy and lactation. Adequate vitamin D levels are crucial for embryonic implantation, immune modulation, and preventing adverse maternal outcomes such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and preterm birth.
Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in each trimester of pregnancy.
Data sources: This is a systematic review and meta-analysis, conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines. Online databases were searched from inception to July 2023, including Medline/PubMed, Embase, and LILACS.
Data extraction: All English, Spanish, and Portuguese articles that specified the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in each of the 3 trimesters of pregnancy were included. All screening and data extraction were performed independently by 2 authors. Risk-of-bias assessment was performed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.
Data analysis: A total of 2627 articles were retrieved, and after evaluating eligibility criteria, 116 full-text articles were included. These comprised observational studies, totaling 127,290 pregnant women who underwent serum 25(OH)D evaluation. Vitamin D deficiency is a common condition among pregnant women.
The meta-analysis revealed that
- 68% (95% CI, 60%-76%) of pregnant women had 25(OH)D <30 ng/mL in the first trimester,
- 81% (95% CI, 74%-87%) in the second trimester, and
- 70% (95% CI, 64%-75%) in the third trimester, indicating a widespread deficiency of this vitamin.
Conclusion: A thorough analysis of the studies included in this review shows that hypovitaminosis D during pregnancy is a highly prevalent condition that occurs in all 3 trimesters. Given this high prevalence, these findings may be valuable for planning public health policies aimed at pregnant women.
Related in VitaminDWiki
- Consensus: Vitamin D is the most needed supplement before, during, and after pregnancy - Jan 2025
- Pregnant women are vitamin D deficient - Map 2013
- Pregnancy problems reduced by Vitamin D - Grassroots Health 2015 note: chart shows < 20ng, rther than < 30ng