Ineffectiveness of antenatal guidance intervention for vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency in pregnant women in Kyoto, Japan

• Published in: The journal of obstetrics and gynaecology research Vol. 47; no. 10; pp. 3540 - 3550
• Main Authors: Yamade, Ichiro, Inoue, Takuya, Hamada, Hironori, Sudou, Shinsuke, Otsubo, Masahiro, Sawada, Morio, Nakayama, Takahiro, Hatayama, Hiroshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kyoto, Japan John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd 01.10.2021; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: 25-Hydroxyvitamin D; Gestation; health guidance; Japan; Pregnancy; pregnant women; Vitamin D; vitamin D deficiency vitamin D insufficiency; Vitamin deficiency; Japan
• DOI: 10.1111/jog.14972
• ISSN: 1341-8076

Aim The aim of this study was to investigate the vitamin D status among healthy pregnant women in Japan, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the antenatal health guidance intervention for the pregnant women who were informed about their low vitamin D levels. Methods We measured the level of 25‐hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) using chemiluminescent immunoassay among the singleton pregnant women who received at antenatal routine check‐up (8–24 weeks of gestation) with written consent during September 2017–September 2018. The measurement values were informed by the concerned physician and health guidance intervention was given to the pregnant women with inadequate Vitamin D status (25[OH]D < 30 ng/mL). At around 36 weeks of gestation, the measurement of 25(OH)D and a questionnaire regarding behavioral changes after the guidance was conducted. Results The average value of 25(OH)D of 1192 pregnant women before the guidance was 14.89 ± 4.85 ng/mL, and the prevalence of sufficient vitamin D status (25(OH)D ≥ 30 ng/mL) was 0.67% (8/1192). Nine hundred eighty‐two pregnant women who had inadequate vitamin D status were followed, thereafter‐guidance prevalence of sufficiency was 1.02% (10/982); insufficiency, 14.66% (144/982); and deficiency, 84.32% (828/982), respectively. Although the prevalence of deficiency was decreased after guidance intervention significantly, the prevalence was still high and the effect on behavioral changes was a little. Conclusion The prevalence of vitamin D sufficient status among pregnant women in Japan was extremely low, which is a serious condition. It was also revealed the effectiveness of the antenatal health guidance intervention for pregnant women was not enough.