vitamin D in pregnancy

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Vitamin D supplementation in pregnancy and breastfeeding

All women should be informed at the booking appointment about the importance for their own and their baby's health of maintaining adequate vitamin D stores during pregnancy and whilst breastfeeding.

in order to achieve this, women should be advised to take a vitamin D supplement (10 micrograms of vitamin D per day), as found in the Healthy Start multivitamin supplement

Women who are not eligible for the Healthy Start benefit should be advised where they can buy the supplement.

Particular care should be taken to enquire as to whether women at greatest risk are following advice to take this daily supplement. These include:

women with darker skin (such as those of African, African-Caribbean or South Asian family origin
women who have limited exposure to sunlight, such as women who are housebound or confined indoors for long periods, or who cover their skin for cultural reasons.

Notes:

a systematic review concluded that "..Supplementing pregnant women with more than the current vitamin D recommendation may reduce the risk of gestational diabetes; however, it may make little or no difference to the risk of pre-eclampsia, preterm birth and low birthweight. Supplementing pregnant women with more than the current upper limit for vitamin D seems not to increase the risk of the outcomes evaluated..." (2)

Reference:

Last edited 07/2020 and last reviewed 03/2021

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vitamin D in pregnancy