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Study under review: Association Between Vitamin D Supplementation During Pregnancy and Offspring Growth, Morbidity, and Mortality
Introduction
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble nutrient and prohormone. It plays a critical role in bone formation, calcium metabolism, and also has an impact on immune function. As you can see in Figure 1, vitamin D levels are often low during pregnancy[1][2]. Studies of vitamin D status in pregnant women have shown that low vitamin D levels can influence bone development in utero[3] in the 19th week, and given the critical role of vitamin D in many features of growth development, it has been hypothesized that low levels of vitamin D might impact overall fetal health during pregnancy.

Previous randomized controlled trials have examined the role of vitamin D supplementation on maternal[4], neonatal, and infant outcomes[5]. These studies yielded equivocal results, with inconsistent findings and methodologies across studies. As low vitamin D levels are reported at high levels in the maternal population, it is critical that a robust understanding of how vitamin D supplementation impacts fetal and neonatal development and growth is developed. The purpose of the present study was to assess the full body of literature and paint a clear picture of the effects of vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy on offspring growth, morbidity, and mortality through a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Vitamin D plays a critical role in growth in utero, yet deficiency occurs at high rates in pregnant women, worldwide. Randomized controlled trials examining the effect of vitamin D on offspring growth, morbidity, and mortality have yielded conflicting results. The study under review is a systematic review and meta-analysis of these randomized controlled trials aimed at examining the effect of vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy on offspring growth, morbidity, and mortality.
Who and what was studied?
What were the findings?
What does this study really tell us?
The big picture
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does fetal vitamin D come from?
What should I know?
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