Pregnancy Vitamin D Deficiency Prevalence and Adverse Birth Outcomes in Mazandaran, a Province of Iran: A...

Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is a significant health concern among pregnant women, with implications for maternal and neonatal outcomes. This study investigated the prevalence of VDD in Mazandaran and its association with demographic factors, maternal health, and neonatal outcomes.

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 233 pregnant women attending prenatal clinics in Mazandaran, Iran, from 2020 to 2023. Participants were recruited using systematic random selection during the first trimester and categorized based on serum Vitamin D levels: severe deficiency (< 10 ng/mL), deficiency (10-20 ng/mL), insufficiency (20-29 ng/mL), and sufficiency (≥ 30 ng/mL). Demographic, biochemical, and pregnancy outcome data were collected. Statistical analyses included ANOVA, chi-square for comparing means, and scattering assessment.

Mean gestational age was 10.2 weeks. Nearly 73% of women had suboptimal Vitamin D levels, with 24.5% classified as severely deficient. Significant associations were observed between VDD and first-trimester fasting blood sugar (FBS) measured at the time of blood sampling (p = 0.001), and maternal vitamin D supplementation before conception or during early pregnancy was more common among women with sufficient vitamin D (51.1%) than those with deficiency (37.5%) (p = 0.033). Neonatal health outcomes, such as hypothyroidism, rheumatic diseases, heart disease, risk of cesarean delivery, and inborn errors of metabolism (IEMs), were not significantly associated with maternal VDD (p = 0.208). Although specific complications, such as low birth weight, were not statistically significant (p = 0.381).

The high prevalence of VDD among pregnant women in Mazandaran, coupled with its association with maternal and neonatal health factors like maternal blood glucose level and supplementation before and during pregnancy, highlights the need for targeted interventions.