Relationship between preeclampsia and vitamin D deficiency: a case control study

There is paucity of literature pertaining to association between vitamin D deficiency and preeclampsia from sunshine-rich countries like India. Further none of the studies have reported on relation with severity of preeclampsia. This study was carried out with a purpose of studying relation between vitamin D deficiency and preeclampsia and its complications.

Seventy-four nulliparous preeclamptic women with singleton pregnancy and without any known medical disorder and 100 healthy nulliparous controls of same age were enrolled. Serum vitamin D concentration of the two groups was compared. We also compared the vitamin D level of women with mild and severe preeclampsia and with or without various complications of preeclampsia.

Eighty-four percent of women were vitamin D deficient. Mean serum vitamin D was significantly lower among cases (9.7 ± 4.95 ng/ml) as compared to controls (14.8 ± 6.68 ng/ml); p = 0.0001. Women with mild preeclampsia (9.44 ± 5.63 ng/ml) had similar vitamin D level as those with severe disease (9.8 ± 4.79 ng/ml) (p = 0.811). There was no difference in vitamin D level of women with eclampsia (p = 0.956) or imminent eclampsia (p = 0.310) and those without these complications.

There is high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among pregnant women in India. Women with preeclampsia had significantly lower vitamin D level as compared to normal women. Severity of the disease was not related to vitamin D level.