Vitamin D status and its influence on pregnancy outcomes amongst pregnant women in southeastern Nigeria

Abstract

This is a prospective cross-sectional study involving 256 consecutive consenting parturient women in southeastern Nigeria. The study aimed to determine the vitamin D levels of the pregnant women together with its influence on pregnancy outcomes. It involved assay of vitamin D levels from blood samples of the women using High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC).Vitamin D levels were analyzed in respect of the women's biodata and pregnancy outcome variables using SPSS. Data comparison was made using chi-square test and student t-test with p-values of<0.05 at 95% confidence interval considered as significant. Of the 256 pregnant women studied, 36(14.1%) had vitamin D deficiency (VDD). Mean serum vitamin D significantly decreased with increasing parity and increasing gestational age up to term (37-42 weeks). There was progressive increase in number of women (normal and vitamin D-deficient) for labour onset between 37 th and 42nd weeks. Vitamin D levels did not influence type or mode of delivery. No trend occurred between vitamin D and both antenatal and labour complications and no relationship occurred between serum vitamin D and fetal birth weight; although number of women with VDD increased with increasing placental weight. The prevalence of VDD in pregnant women in this study (14.1%), is low. There is also no associated deleterious pregnancy outcome to justify routine antenatal vitamin D supplementation, as suggested elsewhere. A larger population and multi-centered study may perhaps elucidate further the influence of vitamin D on pregnancy outcome amongst the people in this study area.

Menarcheal Age and Nutritional Status of Secondary School Adolescent Girls in Nnewi, South-East Nigeria

“…Nutrition plays a vital role in several aspects of the development of womenduring the adolescence, pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, and postpartum period, and has constituted a major policy thrust in several nations of the world, including Nigeria [14] [15] [16] [17]. Nutritional concern has also constituted the basis for several studies related to macro-and micro-nutrients and the need for their supplementation especially in pregnant women [18] [19] [20].…”