Vitamin D insufficiency is prevalent among pregnant African American adolescents.

Study Objective: Recent attention has focused on vitamin D insufficiency but few data exist on vitamin D status among pregnant minority youth.

Design: A screening study was undertaken in adolescents having prenatal blood samples drawn for other routine tests obtained during the second trimester (18+/-1.8 week gestation, n=44) or third trimester of pregnancy (28.4+/-2.1 week gestation, n=36). Serum 25- hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) was measured and significant determinants of vitamin D insufficiency in this cohort were identified.

Setting: Urban prenatal clinic.

Participants: Eighty pregnant African American adolescents (< or = 18 y of age).

Main Outcome Measure(s): Vitamin D status, STDs, hemoglobin, season, birth weight

Results: Serum 25(OH)D in this group averaged 21.6+/-8 ng/mL (age 16.5+/-1.1 y, n=80), and did not significantly differ between the second (20.95+/-8.2 ng/mL, n=44) and third trimester cohorts (22.5+/-7.9 ng/mL, n=36). Vitamin D insufficiency (< 20 ng/mL) was evident in 46.25% and vitamin D deficiency (<15 ng/mL) was evident in 21.25% of those studied. Significant predictors of suboptimal vitamin D status included sampling during the winter months (P=0.004), lower hemoglobin concentration (P=0.019), and higher second trimester leptin levels (P=0.018). Inverse associations between 25(OH)D and bacterial vaginosis were evident when controlled for season of sampling (P=0.02, n=80).

Conclusions: Vitamin D insufficiency was prevalent among urban pregnant minority adolescents. Further studies are needed to address the impact of this finding on maternal and neonatal calcium homeostasis and bone health.