Maternal Bone Mineral Density Changes during Pregnancy: A Longitudinal Prospective Study Using Radiofrequency...

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Bone Metabolism
• Prenatal Health

Background:

• Fetal calcium demand during pregnancy and its impact on maternal bone turnover remain incompletely understood.
• Previous methods for studying bone turnover have limitations.
• Radiofrequency echographic multi-spectrometry (REMS) offers a non-ionizing method to assess bone mineral density (BMD).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate changes in maternal BMD throughout pregnancy in healthy women using REMS.
• To identify factors associated with bone loss during gestation.

Main Methods:

• A prospective cohort study involving 164 pregnant women.
• Femoral neck BMD was measured using REMS in each trimester.
• Lifestyle, demographic data, and supplement intake were collected; women were stratified by BMD change.

Main Results:

• Maternal BMD was significantly lower in the second and third trimesters compared to the first.
• 136 women experienced bone loss, while 28 showed bone gain.
• No calcium + vitamin D or multivitamin intake was significantly associated with bone loss; higher gravidity correlated with faster bone loss.

Conclusions:

• Decreased maternal BMD during pregnancy is linked to inadequate intake of calcium, vitamin D, and multivitamins.
• The number of pregnancies (gravidity) is associated with accelerated bone loss.
• REMS technology provides a valuable tool for monitoring maternal bone health during pregnancy.