A study recently published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology states that seven out of ten pregnant women in the US do not get enough Vitamin D. Prenatal vitamins usually prescribed during pregnancy do raise the level of Vitamin D, but the study indicates that a higher dosage might be necessary.
The lead author of this study, Adit Ginde, MD, MPH, University of Colorado, Denver School of Medicine said that it is a known fact that Vitamin D helps towards building up a mother’s and infant’s bone health, but said the study was just the basis of finding out its additional health benefits during pregnancy.
The study indicates that a majority of pregnant women in the US had inadequate levels of Vitamin D – calling for higher dosages. Those at a higher risk of having insufficient levels of Vitamin D were women who covered their skin for religious reasons, those with darker skins and also those who lived further up north during the winter.
Ginde also said that it was probably a better idea for women to start taking prenatal vitamins a couple of months prior to getting pregnant. He said this would provide much better health benefits, as opposed to starting only after becoming pregnant.
A drop in outdoor activity is what has lead to growing evidence of inadequate Vitamin D levels. Vitamin D is an essential factor towards the health of a mother and her baby. A lack of Vitamin D during infancy can lead to wheezing and other respiratory illnesses. In adults, it has been known to be linked to certain types of cancer and even cardiovascular diseases.