Pregnancy vitamin advice challenged

Tuesday March 19th, 2013

Most pregnant women should not be taking supplements of vitamin D as they are not needed for the health of the baby, British researchers say today.

Vitamin D is normally produced naturally in the body through sunlight and contributes to the health of the bones and teeth.

It is also found in oily fish, eggs and meat.

Official UK guidelines say that all women who are pregnant or breast-feeding should take a daily supplement amid concerns that low levels in pregnancy have an impact on children.

But a study of nearly 4,000 families in Bristol, UK, has found no link between children's bone and dental health and their mother's levels of vitamin D.

The researchers tested children's bone health when they reached the age of nine.

They say there was no impact on the health even of those children of mothers who had the lowest vitamin D levels, such as smokers and women from some ethnic minority groups.

The findings are reported in The Lancet.

Researcher Professor Debbie Lawlor said today: "We believe that there is no strong evidence that pregnant women should receive vitamin D supplementation to prevent low bone mineral content in their offspring, although we cannot comment on other possible effects of vitamin D in pregnant women."

She added: "The guidelines may be over-emphasising the importance of vitamin D, and we need more evidence. Suggesting to pregnant women that their child's future bone health depends on their pregnancy vitamin D status or that by taking supplements they will improve, I think our study challenges that."

But obstetricians said doctors should not cease taking steps to ensure that women with poor diets or limited exposure to sunlight had enough vitamin D in their diets.

The president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Dr Tony Falconer, said more research was needed into the benefits and harm of supplements.

He said: “As healthcare professionals, it is our role to reinforce the importance for proper diet and nutrition during pregnancy and throughout a woman’s lifespan.

"It is important that at-risk women are informed, at their first antenatal booking, of the importance of adequate vitamin D during pregnancy and after, to maintain their own and their baby’s health."

Lancet 19 March 2013 [abstract]

Tags: Child Health | Childbirth and Pregnancy | Diet & Food | UK News | Women's Health & Gynaecology

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