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Vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women and their newborns as seen at a tertiary‐care center in Karachi, Pakistan
Author(s) -
Karim Saadiya A.,
Nusrat Uzma,
Aziz Sina
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
international journal of gynecology and obstetrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.895
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1879-3479
pISSN - 0020-7292
DOI - 10.1016/j.ijgo.2010.07.034
Subject(s) - medicine , vitamin d deficiency , cord blood , pregnancy , vitamin d and neurology , obstetrics , vitamin a deficiency , cross sectional study , observational study , tertiary care , vitamin , pediatrics , physiology , retinol , genetics , pathology , biology
Abstract Objective To estimate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among pregnant women in Karachi, Pakistan; correlate maternal and cord blood vitamin D deficiency; and assess possible predictors of vitamin D deficiency. Methods This observational, analytical, cross‐sectional study was conducted with 50 consecutive women in labor presenting with a singleton term pregnancy at a large tertiary center in Karachi. Data were recorded on a special form, maternal blood was taken before delivery and cord blood was taken at delivery. All blood samples were analyzed for 25‐hydroxy vitamin D levels. Comparisons were made using the Χ 2 test. Results The mean vitamin D levels were 24 ng/mL for the participants and 20 ng/mL for the newborns. Vitamin D sufficiency was noted in 11 (22%), insufficiency in 16 (32%), and deficiency in 23 (46%) of the 50 participants whereas sufficiency and deficiency, respectively, were noted in 6 (12%) and 44 (88%) of the newborns. There was a positive correlation between the vitamin D levels in maternal and cord blood ( r = 0.03; P < 0.003). Maternal vitamin D levels were significantly affected by sunlight exposure ( P < 0.007) and quality of diet P < 0.01). Conclusion Vitamin D deficiency is high among pregnant urban Pakistani women and their newborns. This public health problem needs urgent attention.