- Prevention and treatment of vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy: the position of professional medical communities
- Recommended Vitamin D for pregnancy Perplexity AI table Sept 2025
- Recommended Vitamin D for adults Perplexity AI Sept 2025
- VitaminDWiki: 6,000 IU of Vitamin D is needed before, during, and after pregnancy
- Related in VitaminDWiki
Prevention and treatment of vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy: the position of professional medical communities
Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2025; 8: 5-14 https://dx.doi.org/10.18565/aig.2025.216 PDF is behind a paywall
Artymuk N.V., Tachkova O.A.
Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education "Kemerovo State Medical University" of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Kemerovo, Russia
The review analyzed the position of 17 clinical guidelines from 14 professional medical societies:
- the World Health Organization (WHO),
- the British Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RCOG),
- the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland,
- the American Pregnancy Association (APA),
- the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG),
- the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada (SOGC),
- the Endocrine Society,
- the Royal Australasian College of General Practitioners (RACGP),
- Health Canada,
- the Academy of Medicine (Académie de Médecine),
- the German Society of Nutrition (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung eV),
- the Chinese Nutrition Society, the Institute of Medicine,
- the Russian Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ROAG),
- the Russian Association of Endocrinologists (RAE), and Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora) and
- the consensus of the German, Austrian and Swiss Societies for Nutrition (DA-CH) on the prevention and treatment of vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women.
Conclusion: All professional societies agree that pregnant women should be advised to have adequate nutrition, which is best achieved by consuming a healthy, balanced diet, and should be advised that sunlight is the most important source of vitamin D. However, the analysis shows that professional societies have different positions regarding vitamin D intake during pregnancy. Recommendations for vitamin D intake during pregnancy vary from 200 to 4000 IU/day. Most societies do not support the use of routine high-dose vitamin D prophylaxis in pregnant women due to their unproven safety. High-quality RCTs in populations with low vitamin D levels are needed to evaluate the benefits of vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy, as they remain uncertain and characterized by high heterogeneity.
Recommended Vitamin D for pregnancy Perplexity AI table Sept 2025
| Organization/Country | Recom. IU | Notes | Source |
| Endocrine Society Upper Limit | 10000 | Upper safe limit | Safety guideline |
| US Upper Limit (IOM) | 4000 | Tolerable upper intake level | Safety guideline |
| NIH/FDA Trial (US) | 4000 | Most efficacious dose in pregnancy RCT | Clinical trial |
| American Pregnancy Association | 4000 | Best benefits for preventing preterm labor | Organization guideline |
| EU Upper Limit | 4000 | 100 μg/day tolerable upper intake | Safety guideline |
| UK Upper Limit | 4000 | Maximum safe dose | Safety guideline |
| Severe Deficiency Treatment | 4000 | For symptomatic patients or severe deficiency | Treatment guideline |
| Australia (severe deficiency) | 2000 | If repeat test still shows deficiency | Treatment guideline |
| Canadian Paediatric Society | 2000 | Especially during winter months | Professional guideline |
| Clinical Trial (India) | 2000 | Most effective and safe dose (2000 IU daily or 60,000 IU monthly) | Clinical trial |
| Endocrine Society (International) | 1500-2000 | To achieve 25(OH)D level >30 ng/ml | Professional guidelines |
| ACOG (US) | 1000-2000 | For vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy | Professional guideline |
| Australia (deficiency treatment) | 1000 | For women with risk factors or deficiency | Treatment guideline |
| High-Risk Groups Treatment | 1000-2000 | UK SPS guidelines for deficiency | Treatment guideline |
| Research Recommendation | 1000-2000 | Daily doses recommended for South Asia | Research recommendation |
| Germany/Austria/Switzerland (DACH) | 800 | 20 μg/day for pregnancy | Regional guideline |
| US Institute of Medicine (IOM) | 600 | RDA for pregnancy | National guideline |
| Canada | 600 | RDA for pregnancy and lactation | National guideline |
| EFSA (European Union) | 600 | 15 μg/day adequate intake | Regional guideline |
| Australia (Peninsula Health) | 500 | Standard pregnancy multivitamin dose | Health system guideline |
| UK (NHS/NICE) | 400 | 10 micrograms daily supplement | National guideline |
| Australia (South Australia) | 400 | Basic supplementation for all pregnant women | Regional guideline |
| Norway | 400 | 10 μg/day, supplement if low fish intake | National guideline |
| Nordic Countries (NNR) | 400 | 10 μg/day | Regional guideline |
| WHO (World Health Organization) | 200 | Current RNI for documented deficiency only | International guideline |
Recommended Vitamin D for adults Perplexity AI Sept 2025
| Organization/Country | Recom. IU | Notes | Source |
| International Conference Consensus (Upper Buffer) | 10000 | Safe buffer zone for physicians | Consensus statement |
| Endocrine Society (Upper Safe Limit) | 10000 | Maximum safe limit for clinical use | Professional guideline |
| US/Canada Upper Limit (IOM/NAM) | 4000 | Tolerable upper intake level | Safety guideline |
| EU/EFSA Upper Limit | 4000 | 100 μg/day tolerable upper intake | Safety guideline |
| UK Upper Limit | 4000 | Maximum safe dose for adults | Safety guideline |
| Australia Upper Limit | 4000 | Tolerable upper intake level | Safety guideline |
| High-Risk Prediabetes Treatment | 3500 | Average dose for prediabetes (new Endocrine Society) | Clinical guideline |
| International Osteoporosis Foundation (Elderly) | 800-1000 | Adults 60+ for fall and fracture prevention | Professional guideline |
| National Osteoporosis Foundation (US) | 800-1000 | Adults 50+ years | Professional guideline |
| American Geriatrics Society | 1000 | Adults 65+ for fall and fracture prevention | Professional guideline |
| Harvard Health/Endocrine Society | 1000 | Daily acceptable supplement dose | Professional guideline |
| Endocrine Society (Adults 75+) | 900 | For mortality reduction (new 2024 guideline) | Professional guideline |
| Germany/Austria/Switzerland (DACH) | 800 | 20 μg/day for adults without sun exposure | National guideline |
| US Adults 70+ (IOM/NAM) | 800 | RDA for older adults | National guideline |
| Germany (Federal Risk Assessment) | 800 | New 2025 recommended daily limit | National guideline |
| United States (IOM/NAM) | 600 | RDA for adults 19-70 years | National guideline |
| Canada | 600 | RDA for adults 19-70 years | National guideline |
| European Union (EFSA) | 600 | 15 μg/day adequate intake for adults | Regional guideline |
| US Preventive Services Task Force | 600 | Standard recommendation (opposes <400 IU) | Government guideline |
| Belgium | 400-600 | 10-15 μg/day for adults | National guideline |
| Spain | 600 | 15 μg/day for adults | National guideline |
| United Kingdom (NHS) | 400 | 10 μg/day for adults | National guideline |
| Nordic Countries (NNR) | 400 | 10 μg/day for adults | Regional guideline |
| Norway | 400 | 10 μg/day for adults | National guideline |
| Finland | 400 | 10 μg/day (successful fortification program) | National guideline |
| Sweden | 400 | 10 μg/day for adults | National guideline |
| Denmark | 400 | 10 μg/day for adults | National guideline |
| Iceland | 400 | 10 μg/day (widespread cod liver oil use) | National guideline |
| Netherlands | 400 | 10 μg/day for adults | National guideline |
| Ireland | 400 | 10 μg/day for adults | National guideline |
| Turkey | 400 | 10 μg/day for adults | National guideline |
| France | 200 | 5 μg/day for adults | National guideline |
| WHO/FAO (Global) | 200 | 5 μg/day for adults | International guideline |
| Australia (NHMRC) | 200 | 5 μg/day for adults | National guideline |
VitaminDWiki: 6,000 IU of Vitamin D is needed before, during, and after pregnancy
Loading dose recommended if not start supplementing before conception
Larger dose needed if obese, poor health, darker skin, long ways from equator, etc
Probably better if dose is taken weekly (50,000 IU) or bi-weekly (100,000 IU)
Related in VitaminDWiki
- 4,000 IU of daily Vitamin D during pregnancy is good (Mongolia this time) – RCT Oct 2023
- Healthy pregnancies need lots of vitamin D
- Health Problems Associated with Low Vitamin D at Birth
- Preventing a Lifetime of Illness Before Birth - Aug 2025
- Pregnancy and offspring health - umbrella of 250,000 pregnancies - meta-analysis May 2024
- Maternal pregnancy problems if Vitamin D is less than 40 ng – meta-analysis Oct 2022
- Preeclampsia risk reduced 7X by 4,000 IU of Vitamin D daily – RCT March 2018
- 1,000 IU of Vitamin D while pregnant helped a little bit (4,000 IU helps a lot) – RCT Dec 2016
- Call to action – more Vitamin D for pregnancies, loading doses are OK – Holick Aug 2019
- 50,000 IU of vitamin D weekly for 8 weeks of pregnancy raised most above 30 nanograms - RCT Jan 2017
Consensus
- Consensus: Vitamin D is the most needed supplement before, during, and after pregnancy - Jan 2025
- Consensus for treatments takes a LONG time, even if only one supplement is needed - Rickets
Other
- Gut-Friendly Vitamin D which is much more bio-available for those with poor guts
- 43 reasons for Vitamin D deficiency
- 21 reasons why doctors are reluctant to accept Vitamin D
- People who get little noonday sun must add vitamin D (supplement or fortify food)
- Reasons for low response to vitamin D includes the following summary
| Obese Elderly Poor gut | 2X more needed or gut-friendly | ||
| Health problem reduces levels examples Autism, Anemia, Diabetes Some Cancers | 2X more needed | ||
| Fail to take with the largest meal | 1.3X more needed | ||
| Low Magnesium, smoking | 1.3X more needed | ||
- High, Medium, and Low Response to Vitamin D due to gut, genes, obesity, etc - figure 2A daily dose of 3,200 IU