Women with lowest levels of the 'sunshine vitamin' most likely to deliver early, researchers found
WebMD News from HealthDay
By Kathleen Doheny
HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, Jan. 8, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Women who have low blood levels of vitamin D during pregnancy are more likely to give birth prematurely, a new study suggests.
Women with the lowest levels of vitamin D were about 1.5 times as likely to deliver early compared to those with the highest levels, the investigators found. That finding held true even after the researchers accounted for other factors linked to preterm birth, such as overweight and obesity, and smoking.
"Mothers who were deficient in vitamin D in early parts of pregnancy were more likely to deliver early, preterm, than women who did not have vitamin D deficiency," said Lisa Bodnar, associate professor of epidemiology and obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Pittsburgh, who led the study.
Although this study found a strong association between vitamin D levels and preterm birth, Bodnar noted that the study wasn't designed to prove that low vitamin D levels actually caused the early deliveries. "We can absolutely not prove cause and effect," she said.
The study is published in the February issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided funding for this research.
According to the Institute of Medicine's Food and Nutrition Board, pregnant women should get 600 international units (IUs) of vitamin D daily. The body naturally produces vitamin D after exposure to sunlight. Few foods contain the vitamin. However, fatty fish, such as salmon or sardines, is a good source. And, vitamin D is added to dairy products in the United States.
Vitamin D helps to maintain healthy bones. It also helps muscles and nerves work properly, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Premature birth can lead to lifelong problems for a baby, and this risk is greater the earlier a baby is delivered. A baby is considered premature when born before 37 weeks of pregnancy, according to the March of Dimes. Early birth can cause a number of problems, including issues in the lungs, brain, eyes, ears, and the digestive and immune systems, according to the March of Dimes.
source : Low Vitamin D Levels Linked to Risk of Preterm Birth in Study
