Low Vitamin D In Pregnancy Symptoms

Vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy

Vitamin D is known to play an important role in bone metabolism through regulation of calcium and phosphate equilibrium. Vitamin D is produced by the body during exposure to sunlight, but is also found in oily fish, eggs and fortified food products.

Vitamin D deficiency is thought to be common among pregnant women in some populations, and has been found to be associated with an increased risk of pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus, preterm birth, and other tissue-specific conditions.

Vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy improves maternal vitamin D status and may reduce the risk of pre-eclampsia, low birthweight and preterm birth. However, the evidence currently available to directly assess the benefits and harms of the use of vitamin D supplementation alone in pregnancy for improving maternal and infant health outcomes is limited.

Pregnant women should be encouraged to receive adequate nutrition, which is best achieved through consumption of a healthy balanced diet.

WHO recommendations

Oral vitamin D supplementation is not recommended for all pregnant women to improve maternal and perinatal outcomes.*

* This recommendation updates and does not alter the respective WHO recommendation on vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy found in the 2016 WHO ANC guideline.

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Additional information for this recommendation can be found in the guidance summary and in the guidelines, under 'WHO documents' below.

  • Guidance summary

WHO documents

WHO Documents

GRC-approved guidelines
  • WHO antenatal care recommendations for a positive pregnancy experience
    Nutritional interventions update: vitamin D supplements during pregnancy
    Publication date: 2020
  • WHO recommendations on antenatal care for a positive pregnancy experience
    Publication date: 2016
  • Process for developing nutrition guidelines at WHO

Evidence

Evidence

Systematic reviews used to develop the guidelines
  • Vitamin D supplementation for women during pregnancy
    Palacios C, Kostiuk LK, Peña‐Rosas JP.
    Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2019; Issue 7. Art. No.: CD008873.
  • Vitamin D supplementation for women during pregnancy
    De-Regil LM, Palacios C, Lombardo LK, Peña-Rosas JP.
    Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2016; Issue 1. Art. No.: CD008873.
  • Summary of this review
  • Podcast (Cochrane)
Related Cochrane reviews
  • Vitamin D supplementation for women during pregnancy
    Palacios C, Kostiuk LK, Peña‐Rosas JP.
    Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2019; Issue 7. Art. No.: CD008873.
  • Regimens of vitamin D supplementation for women during pregnancy
    Palacios C, Trak‐Fellermeier MA, Martinez RX, Lopez‐Perez L, Lips P, Salisi JA, John JC, Peña‐Rosas JP.
    Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2019; Issue 10. Art. No.: CD013446.
Related systematic reviews
  • Effect of vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy on maternal and neonatal outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
    Pérez-López FR, Pasupuleti V, Mezones-Holguin E, Benites-Zapata VA, Thota P, Deshpande A, Hernandez AV.
    Fertility and Sterility. 2015; 103(5):1278-88.e4.
  • Vitamin D during pregnancy and maternal, neonatal and infant health outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis
    Thorne-Lyman A, Fawzi WW.
    Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology. 2012; 26(s1):75–90.
Clinical trials
  • Current and ongoing clinical trials relating to vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy

Cost-effectiveness

Implementation of this intervention is not recommended

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Implementation

Implementation of this intervention is not recommended

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Low Vitamin D In Pregnancy Symptoms

Source: https://www.who.int/elena/titles/vitamind_supp_pregnancy/en/