High Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency in Pregnant Women in South China.

To investigate the vitamin D status of pregnant women in the Liuzhou area and assess the effects of maternal vitamin D status on the cord blood of their newborns. This study included 8852 pregnant women and 2000 newborns. The serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels of the 8852 pregnant women and the cord blood of 2000 newborns were measured. The results showed that the average level of 25(OH)D in pregnant women in this area was 76.55 nmol/L, and women in different trimesters had different vitamin D levels ( < 0.001). The overall prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (<75 nmol/L) in pregnant women was 62.34%, and the proportion of severe deficiency (<25 nmol/L) was 0.25%. Vitamin D deficiency was more prevalent in the winter and spring than in the summer and autumn ( < 0.001). Pregnant women who had regular vitamin D supplementation had higher levels of 25(OH)D than the women with discontinuous supplementation or no supplementation ( < 0.001). Vitamin D deficiency was prevalent in pregnant women in the Liuzhou area. There were differences in vitamin D levels between the three trimesters and different seasons. For pregnant women with vitamin D deficiency, it is important to scientifically determine the appropriate level of vitamin D supplementation to ensure the health of mothers and babies.