Maternal vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy and low birth weight: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Objective

The object of the present study was to estimate the relationship between maternal vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy and low birth weight by systematically review prevalence studies.

Methods

We collected data from relevant studies published up to April 2019 using predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria. And all the studies were searched in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science.

Results

A total of 16 studies met the criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. When compared with normal serum levels of vitamin D, the maternal vitamin D deficiency had an increased risk of low birth weight (OR = 2.39; 95%CI 1.25–4.57; p = .008), and same results were found in the comparison of the mean (the total mean birth weight decreased by 0.08 kg; 95%CI −0.10 to −0.06; p < .001).

Conclusion

The evidence from this meta-analysis indicates a consistent association between vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy and an increased risk of low birth weight, and preventing maternal vitamin D deficiency may be an important public health strategy to help decrease the risk of low birth weight.

Keywords:

• Low birth weight
• meta-analysis
• pregnancy
• vitamin D deficiency

Acknowledgements

We thank Chunli Li and Yuehui Fang who carried out the literature searches in the electronic database.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.