Vitamin and mineral levels during pregnancy

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Numerous physiological changes occur during pregnancy, which affect both the mother and the fetus. The objective of this study was to evaluate the magnesium, calcium, phosphate, parathormone (PTH), and vitamin D levels in each trimester of pregnancy. METHODS: In this study, 30 pregnant women in the first trimester, 30 pregnant women in the second trimester, 30 pregnant women in the third trimester, and 30 healthy, non-pregnant women (control) in the same age group were included. The serum magnesium, calcium, phosphate, PTH, and vitamin D levels were measured in all the participants. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference was found in the PTH and phosphate levels within the groups. In contrast, a significant difference was found in the vitamin D, calcium, and magnesium levels (p<0.001 for all). By analyzing the differences between the groups, the vitamin D, calcium, and magnesium levels were found to decrease with increase in the gestational weeks. CONCLUSION: For maintaining a healthy pregnancy and fetus, we recommend vitamin D, calcium, and magnesium levels to be included in routine follow-ups for each trimester and supplemented in case of deficiency.

A Murine Model of Maternal Micronutrient Deficiencies and Gut Inflammatory Host-microbe Interactions in the Offspring

“… 9 Pregnant women are at increased risk of MNDs, as the estimated average requirement for most micronutrients increase substantially to support fetal growth and development. 10 , 11 , 12 Furthermore, the developmental origins of health and disease theory suggests that perturbation in maternal nutrition such as MND during early life (first 2 years from conception) may skew gut microbial composition of the offspring towards an inflammatory phenotype. 13 Whether maternal MNDs can affect intestinal colonization by pathobionts, such as Enterobacteriaceae , in the offspring remains to be explored.…”