Vitamin D status in Chinese pregnant women and their newborns in Beijing and their relationships to birth size.
Public Health Nutr. 2013 Apr;16(4):687-92. doi: 10.1017/S1368980012003084. Epub 2012 Jul 16.
Song SJ, Si S, Liu J, Chen X, Zhou L, Jia G, Liu G, Niu Y, Wu J, Zhang W, Zhang J.
Department of Pathology and Experimental Medicine, 306 Hospital of PLA, Chao Yang District, Beijing 100101, PR China.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women and their newborns in Beijing, China and the influence of vitamin D deficiency on birth size.
DESIGN: A cross-sectional study.
SETTING: Data were collected from pregnant women who delivered during April to May 2010 at 306 Hospital of PLA in Beijing, China.
SUBJECTS: Participants in the study were seventy healthy nulliparous pregnant women with singleton pregnancies who delivered healthy babies at full term and their newborns.
RESULTS: Severe vitamin D deficiency (25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) < 25 nmol/l) was detected in 54·5 % of mothers and 46·6 % of newborns. Neither mothers nor newborns had serum 25(OH)D concentrations that reached the normal level (>75 nmol/l). The concentration of 25(OH)D in mothers was positively correlated with that in cord blood (r = 0·89, P < 0·001).
Newborns of mothers with severe vitamin D deficiency had lower birth length and birth weight. The head circumference and birth weight were lower in vitamin D-deficient newborns.
CONCLUSIONS: The study indicates that pregnant women and neonates residing in Beijing are at high risk of vitamin D deficiency. Neonatal 25(OH)D concentrations are dependently related to maternal 25(OH)D levels. Maternal and neonatal vitamin D status influences newborn size.
PMID: 23174124
See also VitaminDWiki
- Chinese have very low vitamin D - July 2013
- 2000 IU vitamin D not enough to get most Chinese to 20 ng level – RCT Feb 2015
- Virtually all Chinese teens at 30 degree N have less than 30 ng of vitamin D – Feb 2012
- Beijing extremely vitamin D deficient even in the fall: 10 ng – April 2013 which includes the following photo