Abstract
BackgroundVitamin D deficiency has become prevalent worldwide in recent years. However, less evidence was available for lactating women.ObjectiveThe purpose of the study was to understand vitamin D status and prevalence of deficiency in lactating women and associated risk factors for vitamin D deficiency from eight provinces and municipalities in China.MethodsLactating women within 1–10 months postpartum were recruited in 2011–2013 from eight provinces and municipalities in China. Radioimmunoassay was used to measure serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentration. Standardized questionnaire was used to collect information on season, living site, ethnicity and socio-demographic characteristics.ResultsTotally 2004 lactating women were recruited. The median (p25, p75) of 25(OH)D was 15.8 (10.5, 24.0) nmol/L. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was 85.3% as 25(OH)D <30nmol/L. Serum 25(OH)D levels of lactating women were significantly lower during October-January (14.0nmol/L) than during February-May (18.0nmol/L) (P<0.001), and were significantly higher in Dai ethnicity (22.5nmol/L) than in Hui ethnicity (Chinese Muslims) (9.0nmol/L) (P<0.001). For every 10,000 CNY annual income per capita increasing, serum 25(OH)D levels significantly increased 1.04 times (P<0.001). The odds of vitamin D deficiency in winter were 2.56 times higher than that in spring (OR 2.56, 95%CI: 1.91–3.43).ConclusionsVitamin D deficiency of lactating women was highly prevalent in the eight provinces and municipalities in China. It is urgent to study the strategy and intervention ways for improving vitamin D status of lactating women, especially for certain population groups during low sunlight exposure season.
Highlights
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin essential for metabolism and health outcomes such as bone mineralization and immune function
Vitamin D deficiency of lactating women was highly prevalent in the eight provinces and municipalities in China
Because breast milk is the source of both vitamin D and 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] for infants, maternal vitamin D status is an important factor in determining this vitamin status of infant and their risk of developing vitamin D deficiency such as infantile nutritional rickets [2, 5]
Summary
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin essential for metabolism and health outcomes such as bone mineralization and immune function. This vitamin could be provided by dietary intake as well as synthesized through the skin exposure to the ultraviolet from sunlight. Because breast milk is the source of both vitamin D and 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] for infants, maternal vitamin D status is an important factor in determining this vitamin status of infant and their risk of developing vitamin D deficiency such as infantile nutritional rickets [2, 5]. Findings from epidemiological studies have indicated that low maternal vitamin D status and deficiency (serum 25(OH)D level
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