De voordelen van veel vitamine D tijdens de zwangerschap*
Uit een studie onder 600 zwangere Amerikaanse vrouwen blijkt dat een flinke dosis
vitamine D tijdens de zwangerschap veel voordelen biedt. De vrouwen kregen of de geadviseerde hoeveelheid van 10 mcg vitamine D per dag of een dosis van 100 mcg. Iedere maand werden uit extra veiligheidsoverwegingen vitamine D en calcium bloedwaarden gemeten, doch enige problemen werden niet geconstateerd. Premature geboortes in week 32-37 waren in de 100 mcg-groep de helft minder. Tijdens de zwangerschap hadden de vrouwen in de 100 mcg-groep duidelijk minder kans op infecties en ook 30% minder kans op diabetes, hoge bloeddruk en preëclampsie. Baby's van vrouwen in de 100mcg-groep hadden ook duidelijk minder eczeem en waren minder verkouden dan de baby's van vrouwen in de 10 mcg-groep.
Vitamin D Cuts Premature Birth Risk
Taking a high daily dose of vitamin D during pregnancy can significantly reduce a woman's risk of giving birth prematurely, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Medical University of Charleston, South Carolina, and funded by the National Institutes of Health.
"I'm telling every pregnant mother I see to take 4,000 IUs and every nursing mother to take 6,400 IUs of vitamin D a day," said researcher Bruce Hollis. "I think it is medical malpractice for obstetricians not to know what the vitamin D level of their patients is. This study will put them on
notice."
Pregnant women in the United Kingdom and the United States are currently advised to take 400 IU of vitamin D per
day.
In the first experimental (rather than observational) study into the effect of vitamin D supplementation on the risk of premature birth, researchers assigned 600 pregnant women living in the Charleston area to take either 400 IU or 4,000 IU per day of vitamin D. Levels of vitamin D and calcium in the women's blood and urine were tested once per month to ensure participant safety. The study included roughly equal numbers of white, black and Hispanic
participants.
At both 32 and 37 weeks, the rate of premature birth in the 4,000 IU group was half that of the 400 IU group. Significantly fewer "small for date" babies were also delivered to the 4,000 IU
group.
In addition, women receiving more vitamin D were less likely to suffer from respiratory, vaginal, gum or other infections. They were 30 percent less likely to suffer from "core morbidities" of pregnancy, such as diabetes, hypertension and pre-eclampsia. Babies born to women in the high vitamin D group had lower rates of colds and eczema than babies in the other group.
There were no adverse effects observed from either vitamin D dose.
(April 2010)
