Vitamin D is important for Pregnant...9

Vitamin D is important for Pregnant...9

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6...  Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency in Pregnancy

Vitamin D deficiency is widespread and is increasingly recognized as a significant public health issue. Beyond the risk factors discussed above, deficiencies in pregnant mothers may be even be worse due to the increased demand for Vitamin D from the growing fetus.

As a result, infants who consume breastmilk from mothers deficient in vitamin D are also at high risk of vitamin D deficiency and related health problems.

It is estimated that vitamin D deficiency exists in 5-20% of light-skinned individuals & 30-70% of dark-skinned populations at or near the time of pregnancy.

A more recent August 2011 review similarly noted that 5-29% of pregnant women may be deficient in vitamin D, and also confirmed that African-American women were at even greater risk .

Lastly, many pregnancies go unplanned. Although it's seldom discussed, mothers do not always have the time (or the choice) to actively restore levels of nutrients such as vitamin D prior to becoming pregnant. For these reasons, screening for vitamin D deficiency is encouraged for women at risk of becoming pregnant, especially those at high risk of vitamin D deficiency .

7...  What are the Risks to Pregnant Women Due to Vitamin D Deficiency?

Pregnant women with inadequate levels of vitamin D may have higher incidences of:

• infertility such as failed implantation of embryo in uterine wall
• preecclampsia (high blood pressure during pregnancy)
• gestational diabetes
• birth by cesarean section (up to 400% higher rate).
• vaginal infections
•  immune intolerance
• multiple sclerosis

To reduce these risks, research has shown that the actual dietary requirement during pregnancy and lactation may actually be as high as 6000 IU/day  - much higher than current recommendations of 600IU-800IU/day (which was only recently increased from 400IU/day).

Despite some concerns regarding high doses of Vitamin D, a June 2011 double-blind, randomized trial of 350 pregnant women showed that a dose of 4000IU/day of vitamin D was a safe and effective means of improving Vitamin D levels. In fact, not one adverse event was noted in the study.

The study also showed that current vitamin D recommendations were still inadequate at improving Vitamin D status, especially in African-American women. Those research subjects receiving the highest doses of vitamin D saw the greatest improvements in their vitamin D levels.