Evaluation of the Relationship Between the Level of Vitamin D in Maternal Blood and Breast Milk and Postpartum Depression

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between postpartum depression (PPD) and vitamin D levels in maternal blood and breast milk. Material and Methods: The study included women who presented to a polyclinic between December 2017 and August 2018, 4-6 weeks after having given live birth, who were aged between 18 and 40 years and married, gave birth after a planned single pregnancy, were feeding their baby with only breast milk and stated that they were taking vitamin D supplementation at the dose recommended by the Ministry of Health. The depression status of the women who agreed to participate in the study by signing the volunteer informed consent form was evaluated using the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS). Two groups were formed as Group 1: EPDS score <13 (n=44) (without PPD) and Group 2: EPDS score ≥13 (n=31) (with PPD). The vitamin D levels in breast milk and maternal blood in both groups were compared. Results: 75 female patients included in the study had a mean age of 29.80±4.54 years. The mean vitamin D levels in breast milk and maternal blood were found to be 13.26±5.39 ng/mL and 17.14±6.79 ng/mL, respectively. In terms of depression status, no statistically significant difference was found between the groups regarding the serum vitamin D levels and the mean level of vitamin D in breast milk (p=0.463, p=0.847). Conclusion: No significant correlation was determined between the vitamin D levels in maternal blood and breast milk and PPD, while vitamin D was found to be low both in maternal blood and breast milk.

Quantification and reporting of vitamin D concentrations measured in human milk by LC–MS/MS

“…One study utilized a HPLC method and reported the unlikely situation where the 2(OH)D 3 concentration was 30 nmol/L higher in HM than in serum in both vitamin D-supplemented and unsupplemented mothers ( 63 ). The second study used an automated chemiluminescence analyzer validated for serum but not for HM and described high analytical limits (18 nmol/L) ( 64 , 65 ). These assays may have suffered from inadequate specificity and cross-reactivity leading to spurious elevated concentrations.…”