Vitamin D in pregnancy: current perspectives and future directions

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Science
• Maternal-Fetal Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Neonatal vitamin D status is directly influenced by maternal 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D].
• High prevalence of vitamin D deficiency exists in pregnant women and neonates, particularly in ethnic minorities and at high latitudes.
• Current vitamin D intake recommendations for pregnant women are based on non-pregnant adults, lacking pregnancy-specific data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current vitamin D dietary recommendations for pregnant women.
• To synthesize evidence on vitamin D status and its relation to maternal and infant health outcomes.
• To identify data gaps for establishing pregnancy-specific vitamin D requirements.

Main Methods:

• Review of current dietary recommendations and regulatory guidelines for vitamin D in pregnancy.
• Synopsis of existing evidence from observational and intervention studies on vitamin D and perinatal health.
• Analysis of literature concerning vitamin D metabolism and requirements during pregnancy.

Main Results:

• Existing studies on vitamin D's impact on perinatal health are inconsistent, often limited by low quality and high risk of bias.
• Observational studies face challenges including retrospective data, unclear reporting, and incomplete subject characterization.
• There is a lack of dose-response data to determine optimal maternal 25(OH)D levels throughout pregnancy at high latitudes.

Conclusions:

• Current vitamin D recommendations for pregnancy may not adequately address the needs for preventing neonatal deficiency.
• Further research, including high-quality dose-response studies, is crucial for establishing evidence-based, pregnancy-specific vitamin D guidelines.
• Optimizing maternal vitamin D status is essential for both maternal and neonatal health, particularly in at-risk populations.