Extremely High Prevalence of Maternal and Neonatal Vitamin D Deficiency in the Arab Population

Vitamin D deficiency is a global public health problem. The published literature on vitamin D deficiency is limited among Arab pregnant women and its association with different metabolic markers.

To determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in Arab pregnant women and neonates and its association with various biomarker profiles.

This is a multicenter study taken from a large prospective project in Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia. Maternal biochemical levels were measured routinely. Maternal and neonatal 25(OH)D levels were assessed using a chemiluminescence immunoassay. A total of 1,097 pregnant women >16 years old with gestational ages <24 weeks were recruited from different tertiary hospitals in Riyadh between February 2011 and June 2012.

Almost 85% of pregnant subjects had 25(OH)D level <50 nmol/L. Vitamin D deficiency among neonates was 88%. Maternal 25(OH)D was significantly associated with neonatal 25(OH)D (r = 0.54, p < 0.01), as well as serum calcium (r = 0.16, p = 0.02) and phosphate levels (r = 0.17, p = 0.02), and had an inverse correlation with parathyroid hormone (r = -0.22, p = 0.001).

Maternal and neonatal vitamin D deficiency is alarmingly high in Arabs and significantly associated with each another. Universal screening for serum 25(OH)D may be appropriate for Arab mothers and vitamin D supplementation mandatory until term. The study puts a spotlight on vitamin D deficiency with the hope that health professionals will address it adequately to prevent the known long-term consequences for metabolism and bone health of both mothers and their children.