News

Vitamin D supplements needed in pregnancy

08-Mar-07

Research showing the dangers of low vitamin D in pregnancy has prompted calls for NICE antenatal guidelines to be reviewed.

NICE says there is insufficient evidence to warrant vitamin D supplements in pregnancy, but experts say they are necessary for many women in the UK.

Belgian researchers speaking at a meeting of the British Endocrine Societies in Birmingham suggested that low vitamin D in pregnancy could cause type-1 diabetes in the child.

Their research in mice has shown that giving vitamin D to mice predisposed to developing the autoimmune condition can prevent type-1 diabetes.

Dr Maggie Blott, a consultant obstetrician and spokeswoman for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: 'What we're concerned about is that, if mothers have low vitamin D in pregnancy, the babies will also have low vitamin D.'

Low vitamin D in pregnancy can also lead to rickets and hypocalcaemia in a child, she said.

rachel.liddle@haymarket.com

Comments

1 comment

Edward Hutchinson

11/09/2007

High-dose vitamin D3 supplementation in a cohort of breastfeeding mothers and their infants: a 6-month follow-up pilot study. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=17661565 With limited sun exposure, an intake of 400 IU/day vitamin D(3) did not sustain circulating maternal 25(OH)D levels, and thus, supplied only extremely limited amounts of vitamin D to the nursing infant via breast milk. Infant levels achieved exclusively through maternal supplementation were equivalent to levels in infants who received oral vitamin D supplementation. Thus, a maternal intake of 6400 IU/day vitamin D elevated circulating 25(OH)D in both mother and nursing infant. As this is the situation for lactation what grounds are there for not assuming the same levels are appropriate during pregnancy. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D measurement in a large population survey with statistical harmonization of assay variation to an international standard Hypponen et al shows the averge UK status is below the level needed for optimal calcium uptake throughout the year. While we continue to ingnore this fact we will continue to have unacceptable levels of pre-eclampsia.

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