Vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy linked to increased body length of offspring at birth

Prenatal vitamin D supplementation has been linked to longer humeral lengths (HL) in the uterus, longer babies at delivery, and greater 25(OH)D concentrations in cord blood, says an article published in PLOS ONE Journal.

There is debate about whether taking vitamin D supplements during pregnancy is good for the development of the fetus and the bones. Furthermore, there isn't a consensus worldwide on the right dosage or when to start taking vitamin D supplements during pregnancy. Ting Luo and colleagues set out to carefully examine the effects of vitamin D supplementation on bone formation and child growth throughout pregnancy.

In order to find relevant research on the effects of vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy on bone development and child growth from conception to May 22, 2022, a literature search for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was carried out in seven electronic databases. For quality evaluation, a Cochrane Risk Assessment Tool was utilized. Comparisons were made between vitamin D pills and placebos or regular supplements. The effects are shown as mean differences (MDs) with 95% confidence intervals. The results include length, weight, and head circumference; secondary outcome measures; and biochemical indicators of bone health, such as the serum 25(OH)D concentration. The outcomes also include bone mineral content (BMC), bone mineral density (BMD), femur length (FL), bone area (BA), and humeral length. In order to assess the effects of various vitamin D supplementation doses and starting points, subgroup analyses were also performed.

The key findings of this study were;

1. 23 studies totaling 5390 people satisfied our inclusion requirements.

2. Increased humeral length during the fetal phase was linked to vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy (third trimester).

3. Prenatal vitamin D supplementation was linked to both a considerably longer baby at birth and a greater 25(OH)D content in the cord blood.

4. In addition, subgroup analysis showed that compared to the control group, birth length was considerably longer in the vitamin D intervention groups receiving 1000 IU/day and 4001 IU/day of vitamin D.

5. Vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy (third trimester) was linked to a substantial increase in birth length, whereas vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy (second trimester) was linked to a significant increase in birth weight.

In conclusion, there is insufficient proof that it affects children's long-term growth. To better understand the effects of vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy, more thorough, high-quality, lengthy, and sizable randomized studies are needed.

Reference: 

Luo, T., Lin, Y., Lu, J., Lian, X., Guo, Y., Han, L., & Guo, Y. (2022). Effects of vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy on bone health and offspring growth: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. In D. Miao (Ed.), PLOS ONE (Vol. 17, Issue 10, p. e0276016). Public Library of Science (PLoS). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0276016