The Influence of Maternal Vitamin D Supplementation in Pregnancies Associated with Preeclampsia: A Case-Control Study

Abstract

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific illness that is hypothesized to occur due to vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy. Therefore, vitamin D supplementation in early pregnancy should be explored for preventing preeclampsia and promoting neonatal well-being. The present study follows a case-control analysis that aims to determine the effect of vitamin D supplements on reducing the probability of recurrent preeclampsia. We identified 59 patients for the control group without vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy, while 139 patients were included in the cases group of pregnant women with a history of preeclampsia who confirmed taking daily vitamin D supplements in either 2000 UI or 4000 UI until the 36th week of pregnancy. There were 61 (80.3%) patients with a normal serum vitamin D level measured at 32 weeks in the pregnant women who took a daily dose of 4000 UI vitamin D and 43 (68.3%) in those who took a 2000 UI dose of vitamin D, compared to just 32 (54.2%) in those who did not take vitamin D at all. Regarding the blood pressure of pregnant women measured at 32 weeks, it was observed that 20.3% were hypertensive in the no supplementation group, compared to only 11.1% and 6.6% in those who were taking vitamin D during pregnancy (p-value = 0.049). Serum vitamin D levels at 32 weeks were measured at an average value of 23.9 ng/mL, compared with 28.4 ng/mL in the group taking a 2000 UI daily dose and 33.6 in those who supplemented with 4000 UI daily (p-value < 0.001). Proteinuria was identified more often in the group at risk for preeclampsia who did not take vitamin D supplements, while systolic blood pressure (p-value = 0.036) as well as diastolic blood pressure (p-value = 0.012), were all identified to have significantly higher values in the pregnant women with a history of preeclampsia that did not take vitamin D during the current pregnancy. The significant risk factors for preeclampsia development in pregnant patients at risk are: insufficient vitamin D serum levels (<20 ng/mL), OR = 2.52; no vitamin D supplementation, OR = 1.46; more than two pregnancies, OR = 1.89; gestational diabetes mellitus, OR = 1.66; and cardiovascular comorbidities, OR = 2.18. These findings imply that vitamin D has a role in the preservation of placental function and, therefore, in the prevention of the development of late preeclampsia. Pregnant mothers who supplemented their diets with vitamin D were protected against preeclampsia recurrence. Vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy may aid in the prevention of gestational hypertension and preeclampsia.

Nutritional Assessment of the Symptomatic Patient on a Plant-Based Diet: Seven Key Questions

“…Musculoskeletal concerns with vitamin D deficiency include rickets, osteomalacia, osteoporosis, chronic musculoskeletal pain, muscular weakness, non-traumatic fractures, as well as falls [ 180 ]. Vitamin D deficiency has also been strongly linked to the incidence and severity of numerous extra-skeletal concerns, including cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease [ 162 ], chronic pain [ 181 ], immune [ 182 , 183 ], auto-immune [ 184 , 185 , 186 ], and infectious diseases [ 187 ], as well as numerous pregnancy concerns including gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia [ 188 , 189 , 190 ]. Once orally absorbed, vitamin D2 or D3 is converted in the liver to 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], which is the best form to measure for assessment of vitamin D status [ 191 ].…”

Dietary supplements and vascular function in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy

“…Various studies have provided evidence supporting that vitamin D supplementation can reduce the incidences of preeclampsia [ 215 – 217 ]. Some recent studies have shown that vitamin D supplementation can improve mitochondrial function, reduce inflammation in the placenta and preserve placental functions [ 218 , 219 ]. A few trails have shown that vitamin D supplementation can reduce the risk of having a preterm birth [ 220 , 221 ], as well as improve fetal growth and peripheral blood flow in the fetus [ 222 ].…”

Influence of Antiphospholipid Antibody-Associated Thrombophilia on the Risk of Preterm Birth: A Systematic Review

“…Multiple factors contribute to preterm birth, including maternal health conditions, lifestyle, genetic predisposition, and immunological factors. One such immunological factor under scrutiny is antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) [ 4 , 5 , 6 ].…”