High prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among pregnant women in a Turkish population and impact on perinatal outcomes

Abstract

Objective: Maternal vitamin D deficiency is a major public health problem. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of vitamin D deficiency on perinatal results in primigravida.

Methods: One-hundred fifty-two healthy nullipar women were included in the study. Pregnant women with serum vitamin D levels <15ng/ml were defined as Group I and ≥15 ng/dl were defined as Group II; data were evaluated retrospectively. Type of delivery, gestational age at birth, birth weight, intensive care of the newborn, peri-and postpartum complications were recorded. Statistical analyses were performed with SPSS for Windows (version 16.0 ). Categorical variables were assessed using chi-squared test. The numeric variables were analyzed using Student's t-test and one-way ANOVA.

Results: 44.6% of pregnant women were found to have vitamin D deficiency. The mean serum vitamin D levels for Groups I and II were 10.8 ± 3.8 and 23.8 ± 13.3 ng/ml, respectively. SGA deliveries were detected in 16.66% and 4.87% of the primigravidas with and without vitamin D deficiency, respectively.

Conclusions: This study has shown that maternal vitamin D deficiency is related with an increased risk of SGA delivery. Further studies are needed to explain the relationship with vitamin D deficiency and poor perinatal outcomes.

• Perinatal outcomes
• small for gestational age
• vitamin D deficiency

Declaration of interest

This study was made on the same voluntary group of the investigators' previous study titled “Does Vitamin D Deficiency in Pregnancy Affect Postpartum Pelvic Base Functions?”

Notice of correction:

In the original version of this article, published online on 10 October 2014, the author Raziye Desdicioğlu's surname was incorrectly written as ‘Desticioğlu’. This has been corrected in this version. The authors and editors apologise for any inconvenience caused.