Anemia in pregnant teens 7X more likely if low vitamin D – April 2015

Exploring Associations Between Vitamin D Status and Anemia in Pregnant Adolescents

The FASEB Journal, vol. 29 no. 1 Supplement 590.5
Carrie Thomas1, Ronnie Guillet2, Elizabeth Cooper2, Eva Pressman2, Mark Roberson3 and Kimberly O'Brien1
1Division of Nutritional Sciences Cornell University Ithaca NY United States
2School of Medicine and Dentistry University of Rochester Rochester NY United States
3Department of Biomedical Sciences Cornell University Ithaca NY United States

Vitamin D and iron (Fe) insufficiency are frequently shown to co-exist. However, interrelationships that may occur between these two nutrients have not been explored during pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to examine associations between Fe and vitamin D status in pregnant adolescents (n = 158, aged 蠄 18 y), a group known to be at risk for suboptimal vitamin D and Fe status. At mid-gestation (26.0 ± 3.3 weeks of gestation), maternal 25(OH)D was significantly and positively associated with maternal hemoglobin (Hb) (R2 = 0.065, p = 0.005, n = 118), and inversely associated with maternal erythropoietin (EPO) (R2 = 0.028, p = 0.04, n = 144). Significant relationships between 25(OH)D and both Hb and EPO remained evident at delivery. A trend towards greater hepcidin at mid-gestation was observed among adolescents with 25(OH)D levels < 12 ng/mL compared to those with 25(OH)D levels 蠅 12 ng/mL (mean hepcidin 31.8 ng/mL and 28.0 ng/mL, respectively; p = 0.07). Teens with 25(OH)D < 20 ng/mL were significantly more likely to be anemic at delivery compared to those with 25(OH)D 蠅 20 ng/mL (OR 7.61, p = 0.004).

Of note, all teens with iron deficiency anemia at delivery were also vitamin D insufficient (< 20 ng/mL) (Fisher's exact test 2-tail p = 0.01). These findings are supportive of an interrelationship between vitamin D and Fe insufficiency and emphasize the need for additional studies investigating the mechanisms responsible for these findings.

Funded by NIH Grant No. T32HD052471 and USDA Grant Nos. 2005-35200 and 2008-01857.


Later publication by many of the same authors - 8X

Vitamin D status is inversely associated with anemia and serum erythropoietin during pregnancy.
Am J Clin Nutr. 2015 Oct 7. pii: ajcn116756.
Thomas CE1, Guillet R2, Queenan RA2, Cooper EM2, Kent TR1, Pressman EK2, Vermeylen FM3, Roberson MS4, O'Brien KO5.
1Division of Nutritional Sciences.
2University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY.
3Cornell University Statistical Consulting Unit, and.
4Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY; and.
5Division of Nutritional Sciences, koo4@cornell.edu.

  • "After adjustment for age at enrollment and race, the odds of anemia at delivery was 8 times greater in adolescents with delivery 25(OH)D concentrations <50 nmol/L than in those with 25(OH)D concentrations ≥50 nmol/L (P <0.001)"

 Download the PDF from VitaminDWiki


See also VitaminDWiki


Vitamin D pages containing "anemia" in title (16 as of Nov 2021)

Items found: 18
Title Modified
Anemia 8X more likely in infants if low vitamin D – Sept 2023 07 Sep, 2023
Anemia 1.6 X more likely during pregnancy if low Vitamin D – meta-analysis Dec 2021 02 Jan, 2022
Anemia in pregnant teens 7X more likely if low vitamin D – April 2015 28 Nov, 2021
Anemia is assocated with both very low and very high vitamin D (Mexican seniors) – Oct 2021 28 Nov, 2021
Anemia in children 3.5 X more likely if low vitamin D – March 2018 21 Nov, 2018
Anemia (in heart failure) not treated by Vitamin D (they should have added Iron) – RCT Aug 2017 25 Aug, 2017
Sickle Cell Anemia: 64 percent had less than 10ng of vitamin D – April 2012 06 Mar, 2017
Those with Ulcerative colitis and low vitamin D were 3.3X more likely to have anemia – Oct 2013 18 Jan, 2017
Hypothesis: Iron deficiency anemia results in reduced vitamin D in blood 19 Jun, 2016
Low vitamin D - anemia 2.2X more likely (no surprise) – meta-analysis Aug 2015 28 Aug, 2015
Anemia perhaps results in low vitamin D for premenosausal women – March 2013 28 Aug, 2015
Inflammation Anemia in Blacks 8X more likely if less than 20 ng of vitamin D – April 2015 22 Aug, 2015
Anemia 1.9X more likely in white children having lowish vitamin D – Jan 2014 10 Aug, 2015
2X increased chance of anemia (low iron) associated with low vitamin D – Sept 2013 17 Apr, 2015
Infants who have iron deficiency anemia are 4X more likely to be vitamin D deficient – March 2013 15 Dec, 2014
Anemia associated with lower than 20 ng vitamin D among elderly – Jan 2011 15 Dec, 2014
Having celiac disease and low vitamin D only predicted psoriasis and anemia – Jan 2013 10 Jul, 2014
Another indiction that lower level of vitamin D are OK in blacks – Anemia Oct 2013 13 Oct, 2013
5312 visitors, last modified 28 Nov, 2021,
Printer Friendly Follow this page for updates