Cord Blood Vitamin D Status and Its Anthropometric Correlation in Term, Appropriate-for-Gestational-Age Newborns: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Hypovitaminosis D is highly prevalent worldwide, including in India. Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy can also lead to deficiency in the foetus. This deficiency can have a negative impact on foetal growth, as vitamin D is essential for calcium and bone homeostasis, as well as skeletal growth. Aim: To determine the cord blood vitamin D status and evaluate the correlation between cord blood vitamin D levels and neonatal anthropometric measurements in term, appropriate- for-gestational-age newborns at birth. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care centre. Two hundred term, appropriate-for- gestational-age newborns were included in the study. Cord blood 25(OH)D levels and anthropometric measurements were taken at birth. The data were analysed statistically, and significance was determined using the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test. Results: Vitamin D levels were deficient (<12 ng/dL) in 80 (40%) samples, insufficient (<20 ng/dL) in 93 (46.5%) samples, and sufficient in 27 (13.5%) samples of cord blood. No significant relationship was found between cord blood vitamin D concentrations and neonatal weight, length, and head circumference at birth (p>0.05). Conclusion: A very high level of vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency was observed in cord blood samples. There was no association between maternal vitamin D concentrations and neonatal anthropometric measurements in the infants.