Stillbirths dropped in 2 countries after increasing Vitamin D fortification (Finland, Sweden)
Improved Vitamin D Status Is Associated With Lower Incidence of Stillbirth
Anticancer Res. 2025 Jan;45(1):243-250. doi: 10.21873/anticanres.17411 behind $30 paywall
Pelle G Lindqvist 1, Mika Gissler 2 3 4
Background/aim: Two retrospective studies of prospective cohorts showed doubled odds of birth asphyxia among women with low plasma vitamin D levels, and another study reported a four-fold increased risk of stillbirth. It was not known whether this was related to low sun exposure or to insufficient vitamin D per se. We aimed to assess if it was due to vitamin D status.
Patients and methods: We analyzed the incidence of stillbirth in relation to national vitamin D status for all pregnancies in Finland and Sweden between 1994 and 2021 (n >4.3 million). Due to 50% of the population having low plasma vitamin D, Finland implemented an extensive vitamin D food fortification program in 2003 and doubled it in 2009 because of inadequate results. After 2009, 10% of Finnish women had low vitamin D levels. Stillbirth incidence was related to changes using cross-tabulation with 95% confidence intervals.
Results: The stillborn incidence in Finland decreased from
4.1/1,000 (prior to 2003), to
3.4/1,000 (2004 to 2009), and to
2.8/1,000 after 2009.
In the meantime, the Swedish stillbirth rate remained constant at
- 3.9/1,000 until 2018, when the Finnish food fortification plan was implemented in Sweden.
Thereafter, the Swedish stillbirth incidence dropped to
- 3.2/1,000.
The rate of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, another hypoxic pregnancy complication related to low plasma vitamin D levels, did not drop.
Conclusion: In our large study of national vitamin D food fortification, improved vitamin D status was associated with a lower stillbirth rate in a dose-dependent manner.
Vitamin D Life – Fortification with Vitamin D contains
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24+ Vitamin D Life pages have FINLAND in the title
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23+ Vitamin D Life pages have SWEDEN in the title
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