Vitamin D in Pregnancy

Vitamin D in Pregnancy

Reviewed by Dr. Lisa Doran ND

Vitamin D in Pregnancy is so very important! This is no secret and researchers from the University of Calgary have recently found that a deficiency of vitamin D levels can affect a healthy pregnancy.

In a recent study published in The British Medical Journal the Canadian researchers pooled information from 31 different studies which incorporated 22,000 women related to pregnancy and Vitamin D status.  A wide range of  pregnancy complications were looked at:

• pre-eclampsia,
• gestational diabetes,
• bacterial vaginosis,
• caesarean section,
• small for gestational age infants,
• birth weight, birth length, and head circumference

 

Low Vitamin D can mean complications in your pregnancy

It was found that Vitamin D insufficiency is directly associated with an increased risk of

• gestational diabetes,
• pre-eclampsia, and
• small for gestational age infants.
• bacterial vaginosis and
• lower birth weight infants

Vitamin D status was not correlated to C-section delivery.

 

Who is at risk for low vitamin D?

Women at risk of low vitamin D status are vegetarians, women with limited sun exposure (for example, those who live in cold climates or in northern latitudes, women who wear sun screen to avoid skin damage, or wear sun protective clothing), and those from ethnic minority groups with darker skin pigmentation.

 

How does Vitamin D help women have a healthy pregnancy?

To quote the authors of the study “The effect of vitamin D has been described in several organ systems within the human body. Gene array studies in many cells and tissues show that 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol  regulates several genes throughout the body, or as much as 5% of the human genome. Several mechanisms may explain the observed association between 25-OHD level and risk of gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes is a result of pregnancy induced insulin resistance and impaired compensatory insulin secretion. Evidence suggests that vitamin D improves insulin sensitivity by enhancing insulin responsiveness to glucose transport.In addition, vitamin D may play a role in early placental development through gene regulation and expression, which may affect the development of pre-eclampsia.”

 

A Note from Dr. Doran about Testing and Supplementation

Vitamin D is an easy and inexpensive supplement to add to a pregnant woman’s supplement regime.  It is my recommendation that every woman get a Vitamin D status test done at the beginning and at the midpoint in her pregnancy so that her status is known and can be easily treated if her vitamin D levels are determined to be insufficient or low.  Vitamin D testing has been delisted through OHIP in Ontario and most family physicians have stopped ordering the test because women will have to pay for this test.  We offer this test through Barefoot Health in two ways:  the traditional blood draw at a lab or a finger prick at the clinic.  Both tests cost $80.00.  If you are interested in getting yourself tested please call us for more information.

 

Read the Full Text Study Here

CBC report with University of Calgary Researchers