Maternal vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy prevents vitamin D deficiency in the newborn: an open-label randomized controlled trial

• Published in: Clinical endocrinology (Oxford) Vol. 83; no. 3; pp. 363 - 368
• Main Authors: Rodda, C.P., Benson, J.E., Vincent, A.J., Whitehead, C.L., Polykov, A., Vollenhoven, B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.09.2015; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Administration, Oral; Adult; Cholecalciferol - administration & dosage; Cholecalciferol - deficiency; Cholecalciferol - therapeutic use; Dietary Supplements; Female; Fetal Blood - chemistry; Humans; Immunoassay; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Newborn, Diseases - blood; Infant, Newborn, Diseases - prevention & control; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications - blood; Pregnancy Complications - drug therapy; Tertiary Care Centers; Treatment Outcome; Vitamin D - analogs & derivatives; Vitamin D - blood; Vitamin D Deficiency - blood; Vitamin D Deficiency - drug therapy; Vitamin D Deficiency - prevention & control; Vitamins - administration & dosage; Vitamins - therapeutic use
• ISSN: 0300-0664; 1365-2265
• DOI: 10.1111/cen.12762

Summary Objective To determine whether maternal vitamin D supplementation, in the vitamin D deficient mother, prevents neonatal vitamin D deficiency. Design Open‐label randomized controlled trial. Setting Metropolitan Melbourne, Australia, tertiary hospital routine antenatal outpatient clinic. Participants Seventy‐eight women with singleton pregnancies with vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency (serum 25‐OH Vit D < 75 nmol/l) at their first antenatal appointment at 12–16‐week gestation were recruited. Intervention Participants were randomized to vitamin D supplementation (2000–4000 IU cholecalciferol) orally daily until delivery or no supplementation. Main outcome measures The primary outcome was neonatal serum 25‐OH vit D concentration at delivery. The secondary outcome was maternal serum 25‐OH vit D concentration at delivery. Results Baseline mean maternal serum 25‐OH vit D concentrations were similar (P = 0·9) between treatment (32 nmol/l, 95% confidence interval 26–39 nmol/l) and control groups (33 nmol/l, 95% CI 26–39 nmol/l). Umbilical cord serum 25‐OH vit D concentrations at delivery were higher (P < 0·0001) in neonates of treatment group mothers (81 nmol/l, 95% CI; 70–91 nmol/l) compared with neonates of control group mothers (42 nmol/l, 95% CI; 34–50 nmol/l) with a strongly positive correlation between maternal serum 25‐OH Vit D and umbilical cord serum 25‐OH vit D concentrations at delivery (Spearman rank correlation coefficient 0·88; P < 0·0001). Mean maternal serum 25‐OH Vit D concentrations at delivery were higher (P < 0·0001) in the treatment group (71 nmol/l, 95% CI; 62–81 nmol/l) compared with the control group (36 nmol/l, 95% CI; 29–42 nmol/l). Conclusion Vitamin D supplementation of vitamin D deficient pregnant women prevents neonatal vitamin D deficiency.