Pregnancy Vitamin D Supplementation Does Not Improve Baby’s Bone Mass

Babies born to women who take vitamin D supplements during pregnancy may not have an increased bone density or bone mineral content (BMC), said a new study.

The Maternal Vitamin D Osteoporosis Study (MAVIDOS) was conducted by researchers from Southampton, Oxford, and Sheffield in the UK. Women above 18 years and in the 17 weeks of gestation were recruited for the study. One group of women (565) were administered with cholecalciferol 1000 IU/day while another group (569) were given a placebo until delivery. It was a double-blind and randomized trial.

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‘Taking vitamin D supplements during pregnancy does not improve a baby's bone density.’

The study found that the neonatal whole-body BMC of babies born to mothers assigned to cholecalciferol 1000 IU/day did not significantly differ from that of babies born to mothers assigned to placebo. Also, mothers in the placebo group suffered from postpartum hemorrhage than in the cholecalciferol group.

Reference: Cyrus Cooper, Nicholas C Harvey et al. Maternal gestational vitamin D supplementation and offspring bone health (MAVIDOS): a multicenter, double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial, The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology 2016, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S2213-8587(16)00044-9.

Source-Medindia

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