http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5445-0013
![Sample our Environment & Agriculture journals, sign in here to start your access, latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5934/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Environment-Agriculture.jpg"})
ABSTRACT
The role of vitamin D beyond its classical function in calcium homeostasis has been of significant interest in recent years. There has been expanding research on the pleiotropic role of vitamin D in pregnancy and the implications of its deficiency on maternal-fetal outcomes. Several studies have associated low maternal vitamin D status to adverse outcomes in pregnancy, including preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, preterm births, low birth weight, and others. Several randomized controlled clinical trials of Vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy have also been conducted. Though some of the studies found improvement in pregnancy outcomes with vitamin D supplementation, others have not shown any association. In this article, we have critically reviewed the observational and interventional studies, published primarily within the past two years (January 2014 to February 2016) on the influence of vitamin D deficiency on pregnancy and the impact of its supplementation. The potential underlying mechanisms of vitamin D in regulating each of the outcomes have also been discussed.
Acknowledgments
The content of this review article is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
Funding
This work was supported by research grants R01HL116042, R01HL112597, and R01HL120659 to DK Agrawal from the Office of the Dietary Supplement, NIH Director's Office and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, NIH, USA.
Financial and competing interests disclosure
The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with financial interest or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.