Introduction. Inadequate vitamin D supply worldwide is a public health problem. Low vitamin D levels during pregnancy can lead to abnormal placentation, placental insufficiency and abnormal fetal development, which contributes to poor health after birth.Objective of the study is to analyze the vitamin D status of premature infants born in the south of Russia.Materials and methods. A total of 141 premature infants were examined. Extremely low birth weight was found in 19 (13.4%) newborns, very low birth weight in 35 (24.8%), and low birth weight in 75 (53.2%).Results and discussion. Premature infants had vitamin D deficiency in the majority of cases (51%), with a median of 16.9 [11.7; 22.9] ng/mL. Correlation analysis demonstrated a positive association between 25(OH)D levels and body weight in very low birth weight infants (r = 0.34, p = 0.043). Serum vitamin D concentrations were 1.6 times lower in infants whose mothers did not receive multivitamins than in those whose mothers received multivitamins, 13.8 [9.7; 20.9] and 21.6 [16.9; 28.6] ng/mL, respectively (p = 0.001). Infants with an Apgar score of 7-10 had higher vitamin D levels, 17.8 [11.9; 22.7] ng/mL, than infants with severe asphyxia, 13.8 [9.9; 16.8] ng/mL (p = 0.036). Premature infants with congenital infection had lower 25(OH)D levels than infants without an infectious process, 15.6 [10.8; 22.9] and 18.4 [14.2; 22.7] ng/mL, respectively. Children with an infectious process that subsequently ended in death had lower 25(OH)D levels than children without an infectious process (p = 0.001). Children with cerebral ischemia had lower 25(OH)D concentrations than children without cerebral ischemia (p = 0.001).Conclusions. Premature infants born in the south of Russia have vitamin D deficiency in more than half of the cases. Administration of preparations containing cholecalciferol reduces the proportion of newborns with severe vitamin D deficiency, but does not ensure optimal serum levels. Initially low levels of 25(OH)D can be considered as an unfavorable prognostic sign against the background of the development of congenital infection.

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This article discusses negative effects of vitamin D deficiency on low birthweight preterm and full-term newborns. Results of the studies on vitamin D provision to pregnant women and their newborn children are addressed. Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in pregnant women and newborns. It was demonstrated that inadequate antenatal provision of a fetus with vitamin D may result in congenital rickets and neonatal seizures due to hypocalcemia in newborns and also accounts for increased rates of necrotic enterocolitis, bronchopulmonary dys-plasia, and impaired growth and development as well as higher risk of lower respiratory tract infections (i.e., bronchiolitis, pneumonia) during the first year of a child’s life. In addition, it was shown that persistent vitamin D deficiency in future years may be associated with recurrent respiratory infections, allergic (e.g., atopic dermatitis, asthma, etc.), autoimmune, endocrine, and psycho-neurological disorders. Preventive and therapeutic strategies for vitamin D deficiency in low birthweight preterm and full-term newborns since neonatal period are discussed.Keywords: vitamin D, vitamin D deficiency, calcidiol, low birthweight newborn, preterm newborn, full-term newborn.For citation: Zakharova I.N., Mal’tsev S.V., Zubkov V.V. et al. Vitamin D, low birthweight preterm and full-term newborns: time for a paradigm shift. Russian Journal of Woman and Child Health. 2020;3(2):142–148. DOI: 10.32364/2618-8430-2020-3-2-142-148.

This paper reviews the effects of vitamin D deficiency on pregnant women and newborns. It was demonstrated that vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women is associated with higher risks of threatened preterm labor, placental insufficiency, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, bacterial vaginosis, and impaired uterine contractility as well as higher rate of C-sections. Vitamin D insufficiency in newborns is associated with inadequate bone mineralization and also results in metabolic disorders, hypocalcemic seizures, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, necrotic enterocolitis, sepsis, mental and developmental disorders, and higher risks of various (infectious, allergic etc.) disorders. Optimal vitamin D dosing regimen in pregnant women and newborns is discussed.KEYWORDS: pregnancy, vitamin D, vitamin D insufficiency, newborn, complications of pregnancy, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes.FOR CITATION: Zakharova I.N., Mal’tsev S.V., Zubkov V.V. et al. Effect of vitamin D on the pregnancy and the health of newborns and infants: state-of-the-art. Russian Journal of Woman and Child Health. 2020;3(3):174–181. DOI: 10.32364/2618-8430-2020-3-3-174-181.

Due to the growth of non-infectious morbidity of the world’s child and adult population, the concept of nutritional programming connecting cardiovascular and certain endocrine diseases with the fetoplacental complex disorders in the antenatal period has been developed over the past 25 years. An increase in the prevalence of obesity and gestational diabetes in pregnant women lays the groundwork for an increase in the prevalence of glucose metabolism disorders and the risk of endocrine pathology in children. Both low weight and overweight at birth evidence the unfavourable course of the intrauterine period. The review discusses the factors contributing to the fetal organs and systems growth retardation, hypovitaminosis D, insulin resistance and possible mechanisms for their development. The authors present the analysis of the data available in the modern literature on the mechanism of the obesity and GDM programming effect on the diseases in new-borns and children.