High Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency in Pregnant Women in South China.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the vitamin D status of pregnant women in the Liuzhou area and assess the effects of maternal vitamin D status on the cord blood of their newborns. Subjects and methods: This study included 8852 pregnant women and 2000 newborns. The serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels of the 8852 pregnant women and the cord blood of 2000 newborns were measured. Results: The results showed that the average level of 25(OH)D in pregnant women in this area was 76.55nmol/L, and women in different trimesters had different vitamin D levels (p<0.001). The overall prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (<75nmol/L) in pregnant women was 62.34%, and the proportion of severe deficiency (<25nmol/L) was 0.25%. Vitamin D deficiency was more prevalent in the winter and spring than in the summer and autumn (p<0.001). Pregnant women who had regular vitamin D supplementation had higher levels of 25(OH)D than the women with discontinuous supplementation or no supplementation (p<0.001). Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency was prevalent in pregnant women in the Liuzhou area. There were differences in vitamin D levels between the three trimesters and different seasons. For pregnant women with vitamin D deficiency, it is important to scientifically determine the appropriate level of vitamin D supplementation to ensure the health of mothers and babies.