Maternal vitamin D status in pregnancy and offspring bone development: the unmet needs of vitamin D era

Osteoporos Int. 2014 Mar;25(3):795-805. doi: 10.1007/s00198-013-2468-5. Epub 2013 Aug 2.

Abstract

Data from animal and human studies implicate maternal vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy as a significant risk factor for several adverse outcomes affecting maternal, fetal, and child health. The possible associations of maternal vitamin D status and offspring bone development comprise a significant public health issue. Evidence from randomized trials regarding maternal vitamin D supplementation for optimization of offspring bone mass is lacking. In the same field, data from observational studies suggest that vitamin D supplementation is not indicated. Conversely, supplementation studies provided evidence that vitamin D has beneficial effects on neonatal calcium homeostasis. Nevertheless, a series of issues, such as technical difficulties of current vitamin D assays and functional interplay among vitamin D analytes, prohibit arrival at safe conclusions. Future studies would benefit from adoption of a gold standard assay, which would unravel the functions of vitamin D analytes. This narrative review summarizes and discusses data from both observational and supplementation studies regarding maternal vitamin D status during pregnancy and offspring bone development.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Bone Density / physiology
  • Bone Development / physiology*
  • Calcium / therapeutic use
  • Dietary Supplements
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Pregnancy / blood*
  • Pregnancy Complications / diagnosis
  • Pregnancy Complications / prevention & control
  • Prenatal Care / methods
  • Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects*
  • Prenatal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / physiology
  • Rickets / prevention & control
  • Vitamin D / blood*
  • Vitamin D Deficiency / diagnosis
  • Vitamin D Deficiency / prevention & control

Substances

  • Vitamin D
  • Calcium