Vitamin D deficiency in early pregnancy, 2.4 times risk of premature birth...4.5 times the risk of delayed birth development
Aug 07, 2025
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Professor Lee Ji-yeon and Professor Jeong Sang-hee's team of obstetrics and gynecology department at Cha Medical University Bundang Cha Women's Hospital (Director Kim Young-tak) recently published the results of the study in the international journal 'PLOS ONE'.
The appropriate blood concentration of vitamin D is above 30 ng/mL, and less than 20 ng/mL is generally considered deficient, especially less than 10 ng/mL.
Professor Lee Ji-yeon's team analyzed 5,169 pregnant women from 2016 to 2022 by dividing them into groups that were continuously deficient in vitamin D from early pregnancy to childbirth ▲ early pregnancy vitamin D deficiency, but recovered after mid-term ▲ groups that continuously had sufficient vitamin D from early pregnancy.
As a result, the risk of delayed development of the fetus was 4.5 times and the risk of preterm birth was 2.4 times higher in the pregnant group who was consistently vitamin D deficient from the beginning of pregnancy than in the vitamin D-sufficient group. In addition, even if vitamin D-deficient women recovered their vitamin D levels during pregnancy, the risk of premature birth (especially before 34 weeks), necrotizing enteritis in the birth, and delayed development in childhood was still high.
In addition, the long-term consequences of vitamin D deficiency in mothers during perinatal period, including early pregnancy, published in the journal 'Heliyon' published in August 2023 (Maternal Vitamin D deficiency and long-term outcomes)' also showed a 7.8-fold increase in preterm birth rate and a 4.3-fold increase in the risk of developmental delay in the early pregnancy vitamin D severe deficiency (less than 10 ng/mL) group compared to the vitamin-sufficient pregnant group.
Vitamin D in pregnant women plays an important role in the formation of the immune system, nervous system, and organs of the fetus. In the case of Korean women, the risk of vitamin D deficiency in the early stages of pregnancy is particularly high due to low sunlight and high indoor activity due to geographical characteristics.
Professor Lee Ji-yeon said, `Even if vitamin D levels are restored after mid-pregnancy, severe deficiencies in the early stages of pregnancy may have already affected placenta formation or nerve development, so if you have a pregnancy plan, you should take it in advance"Appropriate vitamin D supplementation and dietary education should be combined for women with severe deficiencies less than 10 ng/mL."," he stressed.
The results of this study suggest that vitamin D supplementation in women of childbearing age is not simply a measure of maintaining postpartum bone density, but an essential nutrient that should be consumed directly with fetal health. In the future, it is expected that vitamin D screening and supplementation in maternal and child health policies can be used as important data to be implemented as an axis of pre-pregnancy health care.
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
