Vitamin D deficiency in Iranian mothers and their neonates: a pilot study

Abstract

The mean cord serum 25-OHD concentration was very low (4.94+/-9.4 nmol/l) and that of infants of mother with hypovitaminosis D were almost undetectable (1.2+/-1.2 nmol/l).

High Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency in Zahedan, Southeast Iran

“…In an investigation which focused on 88 newborns and their mothers in Isfahan (central area of Iran), 25-OH vit D levels were <50 nmol/l in 6% of mothers and <31 nmol/l in 5% of newborns [17]. Eighty percent of 50 mothers in Tehran and 46% of 67 mothers in Zanjan had serum 25-OH vit D <25 nmol/l, and low levels of serum 25-OH vit D were found in neonates (mean 4.9 nmol/l and 16.7 nmol/l in Tehran and Zanjan, respectively) [18,19]. Serum 25-OH vit D levels <20 nmol/l were frequent in a population of 963 schoolchildren in Tehran, and these levels were 5 times more prevalent in girls than in boys (50 vs. 11%, respectively) [20].…”

“…In another study in Tehran, levels of serum 25-OH vit D <12 nmol/l were reported in 10% of 1,210 healthy men and women aged 20–64 years; calcium intake and age correlated with vitamin D levels [21]. A high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency has also been reported among pregnant women and their newborns in Iran [18,19]. In studies in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Australia, Turkey, India, and Lebanon, 30–50% of children and adults had 25-OH vit D levels <20 ng/ml [9,11,22].…”

Mother-child vitamin D deficiency: an international perspective

“…In more recent reports, 18% of pregnant women in the UK,52 25% in the UAE,53 80% in Iran,54 42% in northern India,55 61% in New Zealand56 and 60–84% of pregnant non-Western women in the Netherlands22 have been shown to have serum 25(OH)D concentrations <25 nmol/l. These studies raise the concern that infants are entering the world with a vitamin D deficit that begins in utero 21.…”

Maternal Vitamin D Status: Effect on Milk Vitamin D Content and Vitamin D Status of Breastfeeding Infants

“…Review of recent studies (31) indicates that vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in pregnancy in many countries and is related to limited sun exposure and inadequate vitamin D intake (32)(33)(34)(35)(36)(37)(38)(39)(40)(41)(42). Figure 1 shows that vitamin D deficiency, defined as serum 25 (OH)D <50 nmol/L in the Institute of Medicine's most recent report (24), is a global health problem during pregnancy.…”