Should routine screening for vitamin D deficiency be performed in pregnancy?
Evidence-Based Practice Evidence-Based Practice Vol. 19 | No. 11 | November 2016
Abstract Should routine screening for vitamin D deficiency be performed in pregnancy?
Evidence-based answer: No. Low vitamin D levels in pregnancy are associated with worse outcomes than no vitamin deficiency; however, supplementation does not conclusively improve outcomes (SOR: B, meta-analyses of observational studies and RCTs). The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) recommends against screening for vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy (SOR: C, expert opinion)
The 2014 meta-analysis which they based their decision on generally used 800 IU of vitamin D
137 health problems associated with low vitamin D – meta-meta-analysis April 2014
Over 400 studies of Vitamin D during pregnancy have only rarely found a benefit at 800 IU.
Good benefits start at 4,000 IU – 5 times large dose than what the meta-analysis considered
If this had been aspirin instead of vitamin D the conclusion could have been:
Do not bother testing for headaches if you are only going to prescribe 1/5 of a tablet of aspirin, such a low dose does not help headaches
See also Vitamin D Life
- 3,800 IU Vitamin D during pregnancy did not help much – RCT Jan 2017
- Gestational Diabetes treated with 50,000 IU every two weeks – RCT Sept 2016
- Preeclampsia reduced by Vitamin D (50,000 IU bi-weekly) and Calcium – Oct 2015
- Preterm birth rate reduced by 43 percent with adequate Vitamin D supplementation – meta-analysis Feb 2017
Healthy pregnancies need lots of vitamin D has the following summary
Problem | Reduces | Evidence |
0. Chance of not conceiving | 3.4 times | Observe |
1. Miscarriage | 2.5 times | Observe |
2. Pre-eclampsia | 3.6 times | RCT |
3. Gestational Diabetes | 3 times | RCT |
4. Good 2nd trimester sleep quality | 3.5 times | Observe |
5. Premature birth | 2 times | RCT |
6. C-section - unplanned | 1.6 times | Observe |
Stillbirth - OMEGA-3 | 4 times | RCT - Omega-3 |
7. Depression AFTER pregnancy | 1.4 times | RCT |
8. Small for Gestational Age | 1.6 times | meta-analysis |
9. Infant height, weight, head size within normal limits | RCT | |
10. Childhood Wheezing | 1.3 times | RCT |
11. Additional child is Autistic | 4 times | Intervention |
12.Young adult Multiple Sclerosis | 1.9 times | Observe |
13. Preeclampsia in young adult | 3.5 times | RCT |
14. Good motor skills @ age 3 | 1.4 times | Observe |
15. Childhood Mite allergy | 5 times | RCT |
16. Childhood Respiratory Tract visits | 2.5 times | RCT |
RCT = Randomized Controlled Trial
Pregnancy category starts with
- see also
- Overview Pregnancy and vitamin D
- Number of articles in both categories of Pregnancy and:
Dark Skin25 ; Depression 17 ; Diabetes 39 ; Obesity 12 ; Hypertension 35 ; Breathing 29 ; Omega-3 30 ; Vitamin D Receptor 18 - All items in category Infant/Child
606 items - breastfed 887 items as of Jan 2018
- Preeclampsia 825 items as of Jan 2018
- Pre-term 4710 items as of Dec 2018
- "polycystic ovary syndrome" OR PCOS 303 items as of Jan 2018
- Gestational Diabetes
- c-section OR "caesarean section" (various spellings) 937 items as of Aug 2020
- postpartum depression 208 items as of Aug 2018
- Search VitaminDiiki for MISCARRIAGE OR "Spontaneous abortion" 794 as of Feb 2020
- Search Vitamin D Life for "Assisted reproduction" 33 items as of Feb 2017
- Fertility and Sperm category listing has
109 items along with related searches - (Stunting OR “low birth weight” OR LBW) 1180 items as of June 2020
- Healthy pregnancies need lots of vitamin D
- Ensure a healthy pregnancy and baby - take Vitamin D before conception
Meta-analyses of Pregnancy and Vitamin D
- Multiple Sclerosis 40 percent more likely if mother had low vitamin D – meta-analysis Jan 2020
- Pregnancies helped by Vitamin D (insulin and birth weight in this case) – 28th meta-analysis Oct 2019
- Preeclampsia 2.7 X less likely if 50,000 IU of Vitamin D every 2 weeks – meta-analysis Sept 2019
- Autism risk increased 30 percent by Cesareans (both low vitamin D) – meta-analysis Sept 2019
- Vitamin D treats Gestational Diabetes, decreases hospitalization and newborn complications – meta-analysis March 2019
- Birth size and weight increased by Vitamin D – meta-analysis Feb 2019
- Pregnancies helped by Vitamin D in many ways – 27th meta-analysis Jan 2019
- Vitamin D supplementation reduced SGA, fetal mortality, infant mortality – JAMA Meta – May 2018
- Gestational Diabetes 39 percent more likely if insufficient Vitamin D – Meta-analysis March 2018
- Preeclampsia reduced 2X by Vitamin D, by 5X if also add Calcium – meta-analysis Oct 2017
- Preeclampsia risk reduced 60 percent if supplement with Vitamin D (they ignored dose size) – meta-analysis Sept 2017
- Small for gestational age is 1.6 X more likely if mother was vitamin D deficient – meta-analysis Aug 2017
- Miscarriage 2 times more likely if low vitamin D – meta-analysis May 2017
- Fewer than half of pregnancies will get even 20 ng of vitamin D with 800 IU daily dose – meta-analysis May 2017
- Low Vitamin D results in adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes – Wagner meta-analysis March 2017
- Bacterial vaginosis in pregnancy increased prematurity risk by 60 percent - meta-analysis 1999
- Preterm birth rate reduced by 43 percent with adequate Vitamin D supplementation – meta-analysis Feb 2017
- Vitamin D during pregnancy reduces risk of childhood asthma by 13 percent – meta-analysis Dec 2016
- Vitamin D helps during pregnancy – meta-analysis Feb 2016
- Preterm birth 30 percent more likely if low vitamin D – meta-analysis May 2016
- Preterm birth extended by 2 weeks with Omega-3 – Meta-analysis Nov 2015
- Gestational Diabetes Mellitus 1.5X more likely if low vitamin D – meta-analysis Oct 2015
- Infant wheezing 40 percent less likely if mother supplemented with vitamin D, vitamin E, or Zinc – meta-analysis Aug 2015
- Birth weight and length increased with high levels of vitamin D – meta-analysis March 2015
- Pregnancy and Vitamin D – meta-analysis April 2015
- More vitamin D needed during pregnancy – meta-analysis Oct 2014
- Preeclampsia rate cut in half by high level of vitamin D – meta-analysis March 2014
- Preeclampsia 2.7X more frequent if low vitamin D – meta-analysis Sept 2013
- 2X more preeclampsia when vitamin D less than 30 ng, etc. - meta-analysis March 2013
- 2X more likely to have preeclampsia if less than 20 ng of vitamin D – Meta-analysis Jan 2013
- Multiple Sclerosis 23 percent more likely if born in April vs. Oct – meta-analysis Nov 2012
- Pregnancy and vitamin D meta-analysis – July 2012
- Low vitamin D increased probability of low birth weight by 60 percent – meta-analysis June 2012
- Gestational diabetes 60 percent more likely below 20 ng of vitamin D – meta-analysis Feb 2012
- Premature or low birth weight resulted in children 3X more likely to be anxious – meta-analysis May 2011
 Download the PDF from Vitamin D LifeDo not test UK pregnancies for low vitamin D (since 800 IU does not help) – Nov 20162063 visitors, last modified 04 Mar, 2017, - All items in category Infant/Child